Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives
by StarlightSkies
Summary: 900 years had been his punishment, sometimes it felt like it wasn't enough. Abel finds himself in Rome again after hunting Cain. But another chapter in his life begins, how does he survive when he's sent to the Empire and left to secretcy? ABELXESTHER
1. Anticipation

**Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives**

**Chapter One: Anticipation**

The room was dark and quiet as she gave a small push to the doorknob, letting the door swing back on its hinges. The doors to the balcony directly across from her were pushed open wide, drapes fluttering in the breeze, a small spect of moonlight lit only that small passage in the middle of the room. A harsh gust of wind burst through the doors at the same time she stepped in, sending chills down her spine and papers on a nearby desk flying. She didn't like it here; the eerie feeling something was wrong and out of place stuck like pins throughout her entire body. She looked to the right where a tall king sized bed sat unmade. "Father, I don't think he's here." She said disappointedly while running a smooth hand over the warm sheets of the bed. "It's still warm."

"Shh." It was a soft command but a command nonetheless. She knew better than to question Leon's tatics by now, he was one of her new teachers after all. "Sister, listen..." She gave Leon a doubtful look, though in the darkness of the room she doubted whether he could even see her face from where he stood. Closing her eyes slowly, she allowed the silence to fill her. She waited and heard nothing. Sighing, she gave up and began to walk towards the door of the bedroom before accidently kicking a glass bottle away from her clumsy feet. She heard a gun cock back into position. Stupid alert priest, she thought.

"What is it?" He asked. She bent down and cautiously picked up the long bottle, reading its label aloud.

"Whiskey. It's completely empty, probably recently drank." She heard a sigh come from him and then an uneasy silence filled the air around them. She began to shift on her feet as she thought. "Father, do you think he's been...drinking?"

"It's possible." Leon finally switched on the lights in the room. She had to blink a few times before her focus was right again. "I wouldn't be found sober ever again if I had to go through his hell."

"Leon, enough. You're scaring her." She had forgotten that Professor Wordsworth had accompanied them on the Cardinal's newest assignment. 'Find Abel Nightroad and bring him to me.' Even though their search had been confined to the rooms of the Vatican (because no reports came of him ever leaving since he had arrived two months ago) he was still incrediably hard to find. She was the newest AX member under the supervision of Leon and the Professor, but Abel Nightroad had been something of a hero to her after hearing so many stories about his adventures. She didn't want to think about any blemishes on his perfect record. "Silvia, why don't you check out the balacony? Knowing Abel, I wouldn't doubt he heard us coming and decided to be creative with his escape." Silvia tossed the older priest a look of annoyance before stepping over more empty bottles of liquor and out onto the balacony.

"What do you think Leon?"

Leon chuckled, bending down to pick an empty bottle up from the floor. Kneeling, he turned it upside down and watched the last few drops slide down the glass and drip onto the red carpet. "Me? I think old four-eyes has finally lost it. Although, I've never seen him drink. Didn't know a Crusnik could even get drunk."

William rolled his eyes at Leon. "This isn't a joke Leon, he needs help. I don't think Able actually anticipated living after his latest battle. I think he-"

"Don't!" Leon was suddenly in front of the Professor, rough hands tightly grasping the collar of his black and white cassock. The bottle clattered to the ground, rolling away into a dark corner. "If he wanted to die he could have done that centuries ago! He fought for a reason Professor, don't tell me he wanted to die now."

"Leon... Could you kill so many and keep your sanity?"

"I have killed."

"Not like Abel."

"What's your point, William? I'm not a murderer? If so, I beg you to bring that matter to the Council's attention and have them revoke my life sentence in a prison cell!" He growled.

"You're exaggerating. Caterina has already managed to remove half of that sentence, on your own good behavior of course. My point is Leon, is that Abel has lived two different lives. He killed millions (I don't think you've killed nearly as many), lost loved ones who meant an entire world to him, disappeared for nine hundred years, tried to save the world to pay for his sins, and then killed the only thing that kept him sane during his earliest years! Tell me Leon, how much sanity would you have after having your heart tortured like that?" William's voice had risen as he desperately tried to have his argument reach Leon. Leon's own voice was no less gentler.

"It doesn't mean he has the excuse to hide himself away! Who does he think he's helping anyway, huh? While he's probably drinking himself into a coma, we're tearing this whole damn place apart looking for him! Not only that if the Cardinal doesn't give the Empress or the Queen of Albion a report in the next few hours, they're more than likely going to send their own search parties to find that stupid priest!"

"Another reason why we need to find him and bring him to his senses." William sighed. "I just can't imagine where he's gone too. None of the cameras show he left the building... in a human form anyway."

"I'm not in any particular mood to go hunt down a half-crazy Crusnik at the moment either." Leon mumbled, tiredly seating himself on the messy bed. "Why don't we send the new Sister to go and find him. Maybe he'll take a-"

"Not after what happened with Esther he won't." The Professor cut in sharply. "He's gone on two missions to Albion since Caterina found him in the slums of Italy and cleaned him up, and he still found ways to avoid the Queen when she requested a DIRECT audience with him." Leon lowered his head. "He won't let himself close to another human again just because he thinks himself unforgiven... still."

"Why Caterina highered a nut job like him, beats me." Leon yawned, throwing his arms out over his head and stretching. "Well, Four-eyes isn't here so we might as well keep looking before they send out the Inquistion to look for him too."

"Leon, be more sensitive to the matter." The Professor's voice trailed off as the door to the bedroom closed behind him, completely forgetting that their newest member was still outside of the balacony. Silvia leaned against the stone walls of the Vatican, allowing her body to slide down to the floor and pull her long, skinny hosed legs to her chest. The last conversation played in her head repeatedly. Crusnik? Abel Nightroad? They had gone over each profile of the AX Members but apparently the Cardinal had forgotten to mention Father Nightroad's. After all, she herself was human and had no other abilities than her clumsy aim with a gun. She considered herself the oddity of the AX. The shock of hearing her most prized priest as... well a monster, brought her to her knees.

"Oh, hello." The lightest of voices came from her left, making her jump immediately to her feet. Her gun was pointed in that direction but she saw nothing, only a shadow. Something she hadn't noticed before. To her left the end of the balacony seemed to fold inwards once and expand back into the next set of walls. From the shadow casted by the moon, walking confidently along the stone railing of the banister, stood the tallest figure she had ever seen with gleaming silver hair. She watched him lean casually against the wall and smile down at her. "So you're the new student?"

* * *

A/N: Hello again, so here's what's going on. I didn't like how did this before so I am redoing it! In honesty this one is so much better, so much more detailed, and just better all around! I hope you will agree with me on that. Anyway this is more the characters true nature so I will try and stick with it. Happy reading!


	2. When In Rome You Dance With Skeletons

**Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives**

**Chapter Two: When In Rome You Dance with Skeletons**

Silvia stood frozen, mouth gapping at the tall man before her. She heard him laugh lightly while noticing an unnatural gleam in his eyes as he looked at her. He looked almost... crazy. Actually, he looked a lot like Father Abel Nightroad. But no matter how many times in a matter of seconds she matches his gentle lips, glacial eyes, and pale skin to the pictures she'd seen she couldn't possitively say it was him. In the pictures of Father Nightroad he smiled a free smile, here the man she stared at smiled a somewhat hostile and fake one.

"Fa...Father?" She hadn't meant to stutter. He shrugged at her, stepping down from the banister.

"I suppose that would be my name. Amongst the Vatican I am known as Father Abel Nightroad," He gave a sarcastic laugh, almost like he was laughing at his own joke. "But what do you call priest with a bloody past?" He mused. "So you're Sister Silvia De Luca, it's a pleasure to meet you. I must apologize for-"

"Abel!" A sudden interruption to his introduction brought Abel standing straight once again. The pressure being slightly applied to the trigger of the pistol pressed to the small of his back could almost be heard. In his speech of announcement Abel hadn't noticed once that with every word he managed to push past his lips he took a step closer to the beautiful young nun in front of him. Her weak and frightened body had been... appeasing in his unclear and hazy sight. He hadn't even noticed that by the time Leon had managed to press his gun to his back, Abel had craddled Sister Silvia's neck to his face. His fangs just barely grazed her milky skin.

"The hell are you doing, Father!?" Leon yelled from behind, peering slightly over the taller man's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around the taller man's waist, trying to yank him back to no avail. "Abel!"

"Leon, shut up." William snapped as he stepped onto the scene. Carefully he walked into Abel's line of vision, noticing the crazed look in his eyes. He wasn't normal, he wasn't sane, he wasn't Abel. William placed his own gun back into the holster under his habit and placed his hands out in front of him. "Look, I'm not armed Abel. Let her go." Abel didn't move but held on just a little tighter. Silvia gave a quiet whimper. "Abel, let her go. Gently... Look at me, you're not going to hurt her..." The encouragement had only been done by William. Leon's own nudge litteraly came from his gun digging further into Abel's spine. It took another minute before Abel could compute that he was hurting the poor girl in his tight grasp. Slowly letting her go, Silvia ran out of his arms at the first sign of release only to hide behind the Professor.

Abel shook his head, nothing was in focus and everything was spinning out of control. He kept seeing colors flash and things fade in and out, black and white specks flashing in front of him. Silvia watched from behind William, anxiously clutching onto his clothes. "What's happening?" William turned to her and smiled.

"Don't worry my dear, he'll be fine. Our normally eccentric Father Abel must have forgotten that alcohol in a weakened state like his with his own conditions doesn't make him the nicest drunk." He laughed. "I'm terribly sorry if he gave you a fright Silvia, Abel is really quite the humble character."

"He's... drunk?" Silvia tried the words on her tongue first before looking up at the oddest scene in front of her. Instead of the man that had been holding her hostage and nearly about to bite through her skin she saw a tall, weakened and quite pathetic looking man slumped against Father Leon, who was mumbling profantities under his breath. The word drunk did seem to apply... now.

"Drunk and insane, not humble Professor." Leon growled. "Hey, get her out of here before he snaps into another episode will ya?!" He ordered as he dragged Abel's long body over the bed. William sighed, tapping Silvia on the shoulder and motioning for her to follow him.

"I have an errand for you," She nodded. "Please go to the Cardinal's office and inform her that we found Abel and that she might want to send Father Tres over to suite 13, alright?" Again she nodded and took off at a sprint down the hall and around the corner. William sighed. "Ah, now for the fun part." He chuckled and closed the door to the room.

* * *

Leon successfully managed to drag Abel's unresponsive body onto the bed, all the while slightly kicking him as he went. He growled several things to the incoherent priest, things Abel might have actually hit him for if he were in his right state of mind. "He's all yours Professor." Walking forward from the doorway, William came into the light rolling his eyes at the dark haired man beside the bed. Immediately he began an assesment of Father Nightroad.

"I suppose we can tell Caterina Abel finally had his breakdown." He announced with a sigh. "He's certainly catatonic."

It was Leon's turn to roll his eyes. "Really? I thought the fangs and attacking of innocent nuns was a natural thing for him."

"When you think about the last few weeks that he's spent drinking, you could almost say it is the norm for Abel." William chuckled as he continued his evaluation of Abel. "If you didn't know him of course."

"Seriously Professor, no one can be expected to keep their sanity after these last few years. More so, for nine hundred years."

"Nine hundred and fifty two years to be precise..." From the bed came a groan and quiet string of curses as the silver haired man laying down tried to pull himself upright. The lights blazed like fire in his eyes and he had a headache only God could weild. "And I'm not insane, but something would be nice to quiet this symphony playing in my head." William handed him a glass of water and two suspicious looking pills that he eyed warily. After awhile of just staring at the Professor's gloved hand, William took Abel's own and placed the water in one hand and the pills in another and ordered him to swallow. Abel threw his head back in obedience while ontinuing to listen to Leon and the Professor's latest observations of his physique and mental state.

"Confessions start now Abel, let's hear it." The Professor smirked.

"Take it as a dress rehersal for what you're going to tell the Cardinal when you see her in a few minutes."

Abel took a gulp of water before staring directly at his two of his co-workers seriously. He had had his story for Caterina planned our weeks ago, before he decided to take up a drinking habit. "I'm not going to see Caterina." Leon burst out laughing.

William smiled, crossing his legs and holding his hands in his lap. Abel made note that the Professor looked every bit the scholar at that moment, Sister Kate would be proud. He would have to tell her, when we was sober enough of course. "That's not very mature of you Abel. You sinned and now you're going to have to deal with the consquences."

"I didn't know dealing with my problems was a sin, Professor."

"No, but drinking habitually is. But the reason for us taking you to see the Cardinal is a little deeper than your drinking problems, Abel."

"I'm still not going."

"You have the right to say what you please Abel," William smiled, never once changing his expression. "But your will in the matter has been overrulled by Caterina. Leon will help you on your way there if he must." Abel adjusted his askewed glasses with his middle finger.

"Looks like Father Four-Eyes just grew a set of balls, Professor." Leon called from his newest position leaning against the door frame. "Watch out he might bite you."

Abel sat up straight after hearing Leon speak. His shifted from face to face, first curious and then worried. The silver haired priest allowed his frantic gaze to rest on the Professor who seemed to be glaring at Leon's shaking form across the room. "Bite you?" The moonlight from the balcony shined into the room, empty bottles of a variety of Italian and French liquors suddenly glittered all around the room. To Abel's still groggy vision, it looked one of Rome's many carnivals had had its after party in his bedroon. It hit the sobering priest that this mess was his. Bowing his head he allowed lose pieces of long silver hair to slide foward. "Something happened, didn't it?" Leon looked to the Professor, who looked back at him quickly. This wasn't the reaction they had expected. "Tell me." It seemed that as fast as a Crusnik could become drunk he could sober up too.

William sighed, "You do remember that this newest habit was of your own choice, yes?" Abel nodded. "Well since you've been back on your feet, nights like these have been something of a routine with you - and us. Normally Caterina doesn't involve herself, she believes you will straighten yourself out sooner rather than later but your recent actions have disturbed some of the newer Sisters who are not a part of the AX or don't understand your current situation." Abel made no response except to takesmall sips of water from the glass he held in his hands motionless. "You've spent most of your days in a similar state that you've forced me to find some kind of remedy for your hangovers, Abel. I thought the first few times when you managed to drink yourself into an unconscious state that your body would just dilute the alcohol. But apparently your Crusnik powers take the invasion of liquor into your body to be an attack and cause your nano-machines to react in a submissive form. Submissive as in you bare your fangs and seduce young women around the church until the effects wear off." At the moment Abel promptly spat a large gulp of water out in front of him, spraying Leon thoroughly. William attempted to cover a chuckle.

"Seduce?!"

"Yeah," Leon growled, wipping his face. "You've been wandering this place like the living dead until you find one of the more prettier Sister's and then corner them. Lucky for you the Cardinal made us your personal shadows so that you don't get yourself into too much trouble." Abel fell back against his pillows and groaned.

"I'll take it that those pills are working and your starting to sober up." Abel just sighed.

"Did I hurt anyone?" Defeated, he stared up into the wooden canvas of the bed. "I didn't really...?"

"No, we've been following you around to make sure your Crusnik form doesn't take things too far." Abel nodded. "But I think it's about time we paid our dear Caterina a visit, yes?" William stood up, allowing Abel room to swing his long legs slowly over the edge of the bed and straighten up. He stretched and turned to a nearby mirror to adjust his wrinkling clothes. Abel sighed at the sight of his pathetic image; his long hair was a mess and disarray of beautiful silver, his glasses that covered a more complex image of himself seemed momentairly wrong on his face, and his complexion seemed all wrong. It was far to pale to be normal, he didn't feel"normal" either. Taking an undressed hand Abel removed the gold, thin wirey glasses from his face and slipped them gently into one of his pant pockets. He turned to the Professor and nodded, signaling he was ready to go. William led him out of the room, stepping out into the drafty hallway. Abel made to take the next step when he found Leon cutting him off abruptly and quickly throwing a pair of steel handcuffs onto the Crusniks boney wrists. The grinding of metal echoed in the hall as Leon adjusted them to be tight but comfortable.

"Sorry," Leon mumbled as positioned himself behind Abel.

Abel then did something that made Leon feel even guiltier than he already did, he smiled. He managed to give Leon the same forgiving smile he gave to everyone when we was being his normal self. "It's quite alright Leon," He nodded. "Let's go Professor."

* * *

Heavy shoes pounded on the carpet floor, he could hear the floorboards beneath their feet start to groan. He could smell the candles burning throughout the church. It felt like, as Leon and the Professor made him walk the long corridors to the Cardinals office, that he had not seen or heard or smelt such things in a very long time. He felt like a child born to a whole new surrounding entirely. Another thing to add to his long list of misery. His sight had thankfully cleared up, he could see perfectly now and his mind was back to its working rhythm. He could now clearly see the dark wooden double doors of Caterina's office being thrown open and the wave of disappoint that seemed to come from that room alone, wash completely over him. He remembered being pushed into the room with Leon and Father Tres; Leon undid the handcuffs on his wrists without looking up at the taller Father.

"Sit." The voice was curt, unhappy, tired. Abel sighed and obeyed. "Leon, Tres, you may leave us."

"Negative your Eminence, Father Nightroad is unstable-"

"I believe Father Nightroad has a handle on his actions for the time being, Father Tres." The beautiful blonde haired woman looked up at Abel for a confirmation, he nodded firmly once to his superior. "Leave us." After a moment of debate between the two, Leon and Tres decided to leave them alone. It was awhile before either of them talked. By the light of the moon, slowly beginning to set, the shadows in the vast office seemed to dance. Abel observed from the corner of his eye since he would not meet Caterina's, that she looked older and more worn than he could ever remember seeing her. Perhaps he had done this to her? Abel allowed himself to sink into further guilt and nor Caterina did not intervene in his obvious actions. "You might've come to me." Caterina's voice lost its edge and smoothed out to being gentle and almost timid.

"There's nothing to talk about," Abel sank in his chair. "Nothing you, Seth, or Esther can say or do will change any of this." Abel stood quietly from his seat to stand into front of Caterina's desk, pushing aside his cassock to show the belt of his pants. From there he pulled out a stack of rolled papers, gently unrolling them, and laid them on the Cardinal's desk for her to read. Abel turned to the window and waited. "My resignation." He could hear the light gasp slip from her lips and then the chair being pushed hastily away from the desk. Her decorative heeled shoes tapped on the floor telling him she stood in his shadow.

"This is your solution? Leaving?" Her voice whispered, the harsh words made him wince. "Where will you go? Mourn another millenia in the darkness? You're job is not done Abel!"

"My job was finished when I killed Cain, there's nothing left..."

"Fool!" Caterina, despite their height difference, reached up to Abel and shook him. Her gray eyes filling tears stared desperately up at his distant face. "Do you remember what you told me eighteen years ago? You said you were here to protect the human race. Your sister protects the Methuselah and you protect us! We are not done fighting Abel and you cannot leave us... not yet." Abel hung his head, the long tendrils of his hair sweeping in front of Caterina. "Please, do not give up yet..."

"I didn't want to think..." In all her life, Abel had been beside her. He had been the best friend she had always wished for, she could confide to him anything and never once worry about him judging her actions or choices or family. Abel was an angel in her eyes, the idea of him leaving was unbearable. Doing this alone was unbearable. But she had never seen him break. She had never anticipated a day where Abel Nightroad, Crusnik 02, would break down in front of her and fall to the ground on his knees, shoulders shaking and hands trembling as they went to cover his face. In all her years knowing him, she never would have thought there would be day when she, Caterina Sforza Cardinal of the Vatican and AX superior, would be comforting her lonely Crusnik. Caterina sank to her knees beside Abel, pulling him gently to her in an embrace. She cried along with him, no words would be able to comfort him for the moment. Not a heart so damaged. It seemed like hours before they decided to stand again. This time it was Abel pulling Caterina to her feet and grazing his thumb against her cheek to wipe away stray tears. He smiled at her, not a goofy smile, but a smile that caught the Cardinal off guard and showed her an Abel Nightroad she had rarely seen. A glimpse into his true self.

"Thank you..." He simply said. "I believe I needed a human moment." She laughed, wiping away her own tears now.

"The drinking?" She was almost afraid to ask that one. He smiled at her again.

"No more brooding, I promise." He said, placing a paled hand over his heart and bowed in a Methuselah fashion. She he was just trying to make her smile now, she appreciated it. Caterina sat back down at her desk, smiling and light hearted. Abel did the same, brushing lose pieces of hair out of his eyes. "I suppose there was another reason you requested me today?" Again, he was smiling but it faded onces his oldest friend's did.

"Abel, If you feel you are not ready for another mission please tell me now."

"I think taking my mind off of the current situation is a good idea."

"Abel you've done nothing but that for the last two months." Caterina sighed. "Can you handle going to the Empire?"

Abel shifted in his seat. The Empire, he thought, Seth. All of sudden memories were flashing a rapid pace through his head. Fire, houses ablaze, people screaming, blood. So much blood... "Abel!" Abel looked up and found Caterina leaning forward over her desk, her monacle swinging like a pendulum, a white gloved hand was waving in front of his face. "ABEL!"

"I'm... fine." He choked out. He pushed the memories aside and forced a smile. "I'll take the Empire."

Caterina sat back down but not without being suspicious. "Are you sure?" He nodded. "Fine, then I will brief you now so you can pack and be ready by the afternoon." Again he nodded and watched as Caterina pushed in front of him a vanilla folder with an 8 X 11 photograph paperclipped on the front. He opened the folder, disregarding the picture. "Whether you know or not, the Empire has opened peace negotiations to the entire world. They are starting slowly for now, they have asked the Vatican, Albion, and some smaller countries to attend a peace council in the Empire with her Her Majesty. The AX will attend to represent the Vatican and Rome. We leave in the afternoon by passage of ship and will arive in two days, depending on weather."

"That's the mission?" Abel laughed. "You hardly need my expertise on such an assignment."

Caterina shook her head. "Look at the front of the folder." Abel flipped the folder closed to stare at the picture of a child on the front. He gasped, mouth hanging open. "I'm giving you two missions while in the Empire. One of them is to find out who she is by request of the Empress. She's been spotted throughout the Empire as a little girl and as... well, the Empress called her a Crus-"

"There are no others like us!" Abel snapped. "The technology to create Crusniks has been lost."

"That's what we want to know and if she is dangerous." Caterina sighed. "Your sister also sent a note for you, I have placed it in the folder. You may leave Abel, and tell the others who are obviously sitting outside the door, to be prepared in eleven hours for our departure to the Empire." Abel stood slowly, nodding to the Cardinal and then making his way to the door. He could already feel the pressure being pushed against the door so he made his steps light. With a smirk on his face, Abel stood behind the door and slowly turned the knob before quickly yanking the door open. In fell a pile of Father's in black cassocks. Leon, Hugue, and William lay in pile in the middle of the doorway.

"Good morning gentelmen," Abel said cheerfully as he stepped over the pile of co-workers and ventured down the hall. Making it back to his own disgusting, liqor-wreaking, messy room, Abel found himself at his desk and flipping through the folder Caterina had just given him. He held the picture of the little girl in one hand and opened the note Seth had sent with his other.

_Abel,  
It's not the best timing but I have found something curious roaming in the Empire on my patrols while Mirka stands in for me. She is quite young, perhaps less than a hundred years of age but I find that she holds a certain resemblence to someone I hold very dear to me. I have enclosed to the Cardinal two pictures. One she will show you in the open, the other I have enclosed in this letter. I think you will find it just as important as I do that we understand what is happening. Please, Caterina has told me some horrifying stories of you lately and Esther and I are quite concerned. I hope you take my curiosity seriously and find yourself in my home once again. I would love to discuss this with you. Love your sister,  
Seth Nightroad_

_P.S. I mean it, look at these pictures. I think you forgot to tell me something about the last time you were here. By the way, expect a tongue lashing. Love you!_

Abel sighed, though smiling. He did as instructed and retrieved the two pictures from the file and studied them. The results, he found he did not like at all. Abel stood suddenly, running from the room and back down the long corridors from which he just came. In the room he just left sat two 8 X 11 pictures of a beautiful little girl, with sea green eyes, silver hair, and face... a face that made Abel think of a much younger him. A flood of memories hit him at the moment. He needed to speak to Caterina about this. Their situation had changed completely.

* * *

A/N: Yay update numero dos! What did you guys think?


	3. Whispers on the Wind

**Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives**

**Chapter Three: Whispers On The Wind**

"But how is that possible?"

"I could be wrong, but it's possible she and her mother survived the first attacks on the Empire all those years ago." Abel sank back into the leather seat once as he was once again sitting in the Cardinal's office.

"But that would make her-"

"Several things, of which we needn't concern ourselves with yet until we find her and learn more about the situation, Cardinal." Abel stood with his goregous glacial eyes narrowing at Caterina's arguing posture. He knew her too well just like she knew him.

"You mean you don't want to think about it."

"Preferably."

"Abel, it could mean a whole new life for you!" Caterina stood behind her desk, her gloves palms planted firmly on the maple wood. Abel averted his eyes from her. "You don't want this, do you?" She answered herself, astonished by the cruelty of the truth was suddenly realizing.

It took a minute for him to respond and when he did, his voice matched his icy stare. "I'll do my mission but my heart will not be invovled." He nodded to his superior once and made his way to the door.

"Abel, she could be you-" The door slammed causing her to wince. Caterina stared dwon at her desk, a copy of the phote of the girl with beautiful green eyes was placed in front of her. "Abel, why won't you let me in?"

* * *

_Five Hundred Years Ago_

_He had carried countless of Methuselah out of burning manors and houses that night. The entire Eastern shore of the Empire was ablaze in fire, ready to crumble to the ground in seconds. Carrying one more woman to safety that night was just another objective to him. In the midst of a collapsing manor, he held in his arms a dark haired Methuselah woman through high flames in search of a means of escape from the second story of her home. Her entire body seemed to be a ground for rivers of blood but whether it truly was her blood or not mattered little to him. The only thing he was concerned about was their survival for the moment. Her unconscious body remained deadweight in his arms as he ran from one room to the next looking for an exit not trapped in fire. It seemed as if the fire was chasing after them, always at the hems of his pants when he would turn around. He took it as another reminder to run faster than before. Nearly twenty minutes passed before he could feel the house beginning to collapse from below, the structure beams and supporting metal melting from the heat. Twenty minutes had passed and he had still not found an escape for them._

_Turning to the nearest window to him, a single glance down told him that fall would not hurt him but his charge s condition would be worsened considerably should she fall the wrong way. Taking a look around, there was no other escape. Forgive me He whispered as he began to rush towards the window, shattering the crystallized glass as he plowed through it with the woman tightly in his arms. He let the strong wind carry them for a moment before allowing black wings to sprout from his back and catch them. He simply let the wind guide them to safer ground. It brought them to an abandoned street, somewhere within the human cities. Pulling the beautiful wings back where they belonged unseen, he took off for the protection of an empty house or hospital. Bombs went off in the distance, lighting up the skies. The woman in his arms began to stir, a groan escaping her bloodied lips. Glancing down he saw the look of pain and distress cross her face. Though her eyes remained shut she kept her voice low and her face as emotionless as possible as if she was fighting to keep herself quiet._

_"This way", A childish voice said from behind him. Turning quickly, a small boy the age of nine covered in soot stood behind him, beckoning for them to follow. "You need help, right?"_

_"Yes," He answered. "A hospital would be best."_

_The boy shook his head. "The hospital in this area was evacuated a few hours ago but my mom can help you."_

_"Please, may we see her?" The boy nodded and began to run. Taking in a breath, he followed after him and down another set of streets only to stop at a small shop that looked like it sold fruits and vegetables daily. The boy stood at the door, holding it open for them. Passing through, he smiled down at the boy, patting his head gently and thanking him._

_"She can t talk, the boy said. But she can direct you if she needs anything." He nodded and then looked at the older woman in front of him. She smiled kindly, dark green eyes that seemed sad but kind. Her black hair was thrown up in a bun. The woman pointed to a bed, immediately he brought the woman in his arms to the white linens, laying her down as gently as possible. Another soft groan escaped her lips. The boy s mother set to work after that, ignoring her son and her other guest s presences. It was two hours before she stepped away from the woman on the bed and began to clean up. He took the seat the woman had left unoccupied._

_"She s a Methuselah right?" The boy said from behind him. He nodded. "Are you?"_

_"You can say that." The boy left, feeling no need to question the strange man any further. He sighed; it would be hours before he would able to leave. For the moment he was stuck with these people and the woman he saved. He couldn t just leave like he had done with the others. He had to at least know that this one would be okay The others he saved at least had nurses to look over them, the woman in front of him had no one but himself to look after her._

_"Wh.. Where am I?" The woman on the bed blinked awake, moving her head slightly to turn away from the dim light of the candles. "Who are you?"_

_He smiled down at her, he felt slightly attached to this woman. Knowing she was okay seemed suddenly so important to him. "How do you feel?"_

_"Horrible, who are you?" He had to laugh; she was a quick witted woman._

_"I saved you. Your manor, it was burned down in an attack." The woman was silent for a moment, a tear trickled away from her eye. On instinct he brought his thumb to the corner of her eye, wiping the salty water away._

_"Sorry..."_

_"No," she whispered. "Thank you, for saving me."_

_He smiled at her again. He noticed her eyes began to flutter close, her breathing becoming a little more relaxed. "Rest now, you re safe."_

_"Your name...?" They were the last words she was able to mumble before sleep took her again. It was then that the boy came back, his eyes filled with tears and his shirt stained red._

_"Hey, are you alrig-" The boy dropped to the floor, a pool red circled around him instantaneously. He stepped back, backing up to the bed. Footsteps came from the doorway, making him look up._

_"I thought I smelt a rat." A cold, humored voice spoke. "Hello Abel, I was hoping you would show up."_

_"Cain." _

Abel woke with a start, sitting upright in his little cot. His loud panting and gapsing breaths were caused by the reality of his dreams... were they dreams? He couldn't remember, he couldn't think. He wondered if he had been drinking again. Probably not, Caterina would murder him for breaking another promise to her. Wisps of his dreams floated lazily in and out of his mind, remnants of memories that he could barely recall the details of. It was all a blurry haze now as the images began to fade from his mind the more his body registered to his cool surroundings. Abel took in a shaky breath and pealed the covers off his body, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He could just see Father Leon turned on his side on the opposite side of the room with his loud snores that echoed. Unfortunately, Caterina had denied her entire envoy travelling to the Empire the option of single sleeping arrangements. Everyone had been assigned a roommate and of course he would was stuck with the only Dandelion of the face of the planet that could perform a symphony in their sleep. Yawning, he pulled himself up from the bed, noting the the small circular window that he glanced out of pictured the sky outside as past dawn. Abel reminded himself that by the afternoon they would be arriving in the Empire and he would be seeing Seth and Esther once again. _Hm, Esther..._ Abel shook his head to be rid of the name and got dressed as quickly as possible and went above deck to escape Leon's snoring. The deck of the ship they travelled on was his perfect idea of quiet solitude. Leaning against the railing of the ship, Abel looked out onto the ocean and found that his heart constricted with the scene before him. A blur of images passed in front of his eyes, happy memories that he would cherish forever of a beautiful red head and her sapphire eyes and clumsy ways. He sighed, he had a rather large apology to give that beautiful nun when he saw her. That was, if she would have his apology. He couldn't exactly express how much he missed her. A later conversation popped into Abel's head, one he had had with Caterina before they had departed for the Empire about a little girl he had been assigned to find.

Abel pulled out the picture he had first been given in a note by his sister when he recieved the file from Caterina for the assignment. Leaning over the railing he stared curiously at the little girl's face and at her physique, at the black wings that sprouted from her tiny back and the menacing eyes that were not present in the other picture. If his theory was correct, then he was in trouble. A lot of it. Abel put away the pictures and went back to gazing at the ocean before him.

"You re up quite early, Father." Abel jumped, turning to find Father William approaching him with a tired smile.

"Professor, good morning. Forgive me, but I thought I was alone up here." Abel smiled, readjusting his crooked glasses.

"I've been up with Caterina for awhile now going over our plans of negotiations. I've just seen her off to bed."

"So late?: Abel frowned. "Her Eminence needs her rest. We can t have her falling asleep during negotiations now."

"I said the same thing," the Professor sighed. "But you know if there are things to still be vigilant about, the Cardinal will see to them attended. Anyway, what has you out here so early, Abel? I ve never known you to be such an early bird when the time presents itself for you to sleep."

"I had a dream and came up here to think. Leon s holding a mini orchestra practice and I thought it best if I don t interrupt." The Professor chuckled, shaking his head. Abel sighed, turning his attention back the ocean. I haven t seen something so peaceful in awhile.

"No, I suppose you haven t. Well not with your recent moods," Abel threw the Professor look which he ignored. "Tell me Abel, what do you plan to do?" The Professor smiled at Abel. He casually began to walk away from the railing of the ship to seat himself comfortably in one of the lounge chairs. He waved a hand passively to Abel for him to join. Uncertain of the turm of conversation Abel sat down beside the Professor.

"What makes you think I have something planned out? The last two months with you have been a constant game of evasion with the young Queen of Albion and the Empress. I m not an idiot Abel, you've thought this out haven't you?" Abel grumbled something incoherent. So much for cunning.

He shook his head, "It's called duck and cover."

"That one would be for the Empress. Now what do you plan to do about Esther?" Abel spun in his seat. Another flash of memory came to him. "I suppose you ll stick to the same plan as always? Ignore her and hope she forgets about you?" The Professor frowned, shaking his head disappointedly at the silver haired priest when no response or argument was made.

"It won t change."

"Leave us, William." Abel sat still as the sound of clicking heels came closer. He could just see the hems of the Professors robes move out of his line of sight. A mass of red crossed in front of him and suddenly occupied the seat that William had been ordered to leave. "William is exercising his authority with you, I hope you're not taking it too offensively. He's rather fond of you."

Abel gave her one of his more goofier grins. "I am fortunate that I've met him, it's good to have some one covering me when needed."

They sat in silence, momentairly watching the ocean. "William brought up a valuable point, I've brought you here but how will you handle it? The Empress and I have given you an assigment and on top of that part of your job is to protect me and those that you feel are in danger from any threats posed by Methuselah and Rosencruetz. Yet here you are fighting yourself for the right decision and fighting your heart for the right to love." Abel didn t turn to her. Caterina continued. "I thought you said you could handle this Abel? If the Professor is able to scratch your mask with such simple questions, how are you going to last three weeks here doing your job? And William is right, do you really want to avoid your sister and Esther so much? Part of this job Abel, is to cooperate with your surroundings. You used to be very good at that."

Abel suddenly stood, the long black fabric of his cassock hung loosely on his tall frame. The morning sun, just a little higher than before, reflected off his glasses. Facing Esther perhaps may be easier than seeing Seth. She loved him, despite our common views. We both did. "Idiot... Caterina whispered as she stood to be by his side.

"Pardon me?"

"Fool." She said more promptly. "And even more of one to try and convince me that you don t already know how to handle the Empress." Abel winced. Busted. Of course he knew how to handle Seth, he knew all her tricks by heart. "What are you really worried about? He turned his head away from her again only to be a caught by a soft, pale hand. "You don t think anyone else has noticed? They tease you because they know how you feel about the Queen of Albion. You re a fool for not noticing it before them or just acting as though you don t care about the way the Earl of Memphis stares at her." A memory of falling into the Fortuna water fountain years ago passed through his memory. _Oh yes, those stares... _he thought amused.

Abel mockingly gapped at the Cardinal. "Caterina, I-"

"I didn't want this to be just an assigment for you, Abel. I wanted to see you smile again, like you did so long ago. Like when you were with Sister Esther." Abel's heart skipped a beat. "All work aside, I wanted you to stop hiding. I know it's only been two months and that part of this negotiation depends on your testimony of the Contra Mundi being dead, but I want to see you relax Abel."

Abel slid off his glasses, playing with them in his hands. "How do you expect me to relax when I have a job to do? There might be another Crusnik that Seth and I don't know of and could be potentially dangerous to the world! I cannot just stop and enjoy my stay here, it's work. And Esther... My time with Esther is put on a hold. I can't face her and I don't want to put her through anymore pain. She had to watch me die once, that's bad enough."

"Thank you Abel," Caterina straightened herself, her voice returning to a cold edgy tone. "You made my decision for me."

"What decision?"

"Believe me when I say that I may come to regret this someday but I do this out of concern for a friend who vowed to protect the lives of us humans long ago.

Caterina Abel reached for his superior and friend. "What are you talking about? What decision?"

"This: Abel Nightroad, once your duties to me and the Vatican are done in the Empire, I hereby order you to remain here as a servant of the Empire under her Majesty, Empress Augusta Vradica."

"WHAT?!"

Caterina glared at him. "I have already spoken to the Empress and it was decided that as an agent of the Vatican you will remain here and serve your sister as one of her severants or as any other disguise she may see fit, that is entirely up to her." Abel gave a shudder, Seth's imagination could be frightening. "While you are here the two of you will be undercover and attempt to find out what that little girl is really up to and who she is, understood?"

:But, you can't!" Abel began to protest. "We need to find the rest of the members of the Rosenkreutz! Cain may be dead but there is Methuselah still among that group that could-"

"We," Caterina stomped down on Abel s quick choice of attack. "Will take care of the rest of the Order. You on the other hand are going to take care of your heart for once. The Empress had asked me if it could be arranged for you to see her in the Empire and I have found a way. I m doing this for you Abel. For once I want you to worry about yourself and no one else."

"I-I can t do that. Abel whispered. I made a vow."

Caterina touched his arm lightly, making him look at her. "Ever since you ve been healthy enough to get back on your feet you have been demanding mission after mission from me, without rest. Usually you come back from missions begging me to give you time off. Now you ask me for more. You spent nearly eight years chasing your brother Abel," He winced at the mention of Cain. "And you haven t stopped to mourn him. You ve kept yourself so busy that you aren t giving your mind the possibility to think about such pain. And in result your latest outlet has been drinking and none of us are particularily found of the idea. He was your brother, a half of you, and now with him gone you have a half that is empty and you don t know how to fix such a void building inside your heart. Isn t that how it was with Lilith? You had nine hundred years to mourn her but you won t leave now until everything you can do is done, until your body is drained of its enthusiasm to hunt down the order and stop them. Even if it means you put your life at stake."

Abel gave her a small smile, "I tried to leave, remember? You wouldn't let me." He glanced up at the orangey sky. "I want to rid this world of the evil my brother and I have left on it. I won t let these rogues, these followers of my brother and I, destroy what little happiness I have been able to give back to the world. When I came to you the other night I felt like the world was saved but no one had been there to save me. I had never liked alcohol before but it did something to my body that made me forget the world and forget the pain that I felt."

"It's called being drunk, Abel."

He ignored her. "But as far as Cain s death, I can t stand to think about him. I know if I do, I ll fall into the abyss that swallowed me whole when Lilith died. I hated Cain, all my life he was beside me with that fake smile and false words, but he was still my brother. He showed me a world where I could learn to accept who I was and I am forever thankful for that. If I allow myself to mourn him, you ll never be able to pull me out of those catacombs again." With his last words Abel turned to Caterina with a ghost of smile. It reminded her how he had walked out of the shadows that day when assassins came to murder her family, when he held out his hand to her, covered in blood, and said he was there to protect her. Caterina reached up for his shoulders and shook him violently.

"The point I'm making to you Abel is that you need this time. Please, ta-"

"I can't and I won't." He looked at her with all seriousness. "When the rest of the stragglers from the Order have been taken care of then I will consider your choice of action, Cardinal. For the meantime, my own concerns are of little value right now."

Caterina stood with one eye switching. Abel had a lot of leeway with her but not this much. "Is that so?" Abel took a step back. "Is that the only reason you are opting to stay away from the Empire?"

Abel waved his hands frantically as she slowly advanced on him step after step. "Now Caterina, let's not jump to conclusions..."

"This isn't another alterior motive to stay away from the Queen, is it Abel? The Professor has already informed that on several occasions you purposely disobeyed a royal summons to visit Esther while in her kingdom. Your evasion of a longer stay in the Empire wouldn't be because of a fear of Esther, would it Abel?"

"I assure you, it's nothing of the sort!"

Caterina stopped with a defeated sigh. "You're the same as always Abel, predictable. You've had the same selfless, unobversant attitude for as long as I've known you. Perhaps it had gotten worse when we entered seminary school together? But not even then, how many times would I tell you that all this, happiness, love, a world's definition of life, is what you deserve? You've mourned loved ones and burdened yourself with this world." She turned swiftly on him, catching Abel off guard and confused. He stared at her, icy glacial blue eys softening with sympathy for the message she was trying to give him. He watched a tear spill from the corner of her right eye. Caterina closed the gap between them, placing soft hands on his cheeks and holding them firm. "For once in your life give yourself what you deserve Abel. Among those many things, one of them is Esther's love." Abel opened his mouth to protest to argue but found her hand covering his hestitant lips. "Please, if you have any feelings for the Queen of Albion you would do well in realizing this message soon. You deserve her and she has been patient enough these long years."

Abel cautiously removed Caterina's hand from his mouth, the idea of licking it like a child would momentairly crossed his mind. He wouldn't dare anger further, though it would have been worth it to see her expression. He stared her though, confused, calculating her words. "What are you saying Caterina?"

"There is a deadline for everything, Abel. That's all." She sighed. "Even the most patient of us run out of virtue sooner or later."

"Are you saying-"

"I'm not saying anything," Caterina smiled as she turned away from him. "I'm telling you that for the love of God Abel, do something with that empty void of a heart. You might find it comforting in the future."

______________

The ship reached the docks of the Empire within Tres exactly estimated time frame. Abel looked over at the android with humor; he seemed to be the only one aboard the ship who didn t seem extremely anxious about the upcoming meetings. _Then again_, Abel thought, _He was designed to be an unemotional machine_. Abel Nightroad watched as the docks of the Empire came into view. Suddenly he could feel his need to run arise in a full panic. He didn t feel too sure about getting off the boat so soon. Admittedly he wasn t ready to face either Seth or Esther yet. Well, he wasn t ready to die again yet either. Abel felt a hand grip his shoulder and saw Leon standing beside him, smiling comfortingly. Abel smiled back. Leon had probably been the first of all his comrades to begin the long course of antagonizing words towards his emotions of Esther, along with how he was still alive.

Abel hadn t realized that during the eight years he had been away there had been a cover story being developed for his death and sudden disappearance. When he had returned it had been Leon and the Professor who had dragged him away from the Vatican steps in a hurry, explaining the situation. For eight years, Caterina had planted the rumor that Abel had been roaming on her orders, searching for Rosenkreutz members. His death also, was explained as a design for a trap set to catch the Contra Mundi and his followers. Abel had thought he had never been so confused or happy in his life. For once he didn t have to leave something he loved for what he was or what he had done. To a select few members of the AX officers, Abel knew his true identity was known. And though he expected half of them to fear him, to have some kind of trepidation towards him when he once again walked into the Vatican after five years of being missing , he never expected the warm welcome he had received. Those that knew his true identity had a new found respect along with revere for him. Abel had to admit, it felt good to not have to run anymore.

"We're almost there." Leon said quietly.

"That s the scary part," Abel sighed but smiled at the dark haired priest. "But soon all this war will be over and we can relax a little."

"You truly believe that Abel?" Leon gazed at Abel with doubt. "You really believe that this will work?"

"We have to, don t we? Or else everything we ve done all these years is rendered worthless, Leon."

"Ah, you're right. Sorry, I just have my doubts." Leon chuckled. "Say, the Cardinal has ordered me to stay behind with you. Have any idea why?"

Abel raised a silver eyebrow. "Really? I haven t gotten my orders yet." He lied. _I'm being babysat too?_

"Well yeah, she has you, me, and the Professor staying behind until further notice."

"Now that is odd," Abel glared in the direction of Caterina, who smiled cunningly at the priest. "I wonder why she would do that. It would be quite unfair to all of us to be unable to aid in the search for the rest of the Rosenkreutz members." Abel said loud enough for Caterina to hear. "Taking a mission in the Empire would be a waste of our talents in the field, don t you think Leon?"

"Father Nightroad, I suggest you keep your mouth shut for the duration of this ride if you wish to keep your position." Caterina called over the Abel, not once looking at him.

"Eh?!"

"What's she talking about four-eyes?" Leon scratched the back of his head, looking from the Cardinal to the defeated priest beside him.

"Oh nothing, just the Cardinal exercising her control over my soul - I mean position!" Abel coughed, catching the glare from Caterina. "Oh look, they ve sent a welcoming party to greet us." He pointed at the docks not a hundred feet in front of them. A small party of two Methuselah dressed in fine garb stood there peacefully and patiently.

"Well, back to work." Leon yawned. "It should be an interesting couple of weeks."

"Interesting, yes interesting is one way to put it." Abel groaned to himself and then mentally prepared for the lashing he was about to receive by two very pissed and very powerful women.

* * *

A/N: I have an apology to make, apparently when I was uploading the Fanfiction docx uploader did not upload my document for this chapter right. If you see sentences that should have quotations I apologize, I tried to find and fix all of them. The uploader apparently deleted almost all the quotation marks, I have no idea why. Also anthing in italics will be character thoughts, normally. Let me know if you find any missing quotations or simply just tell me what you thought. :] Oh, and now I guess my heading doesn't want to center? Sorry about that.


	4. The First Steps

**Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives**

**Chapter Four: The First Steps**

The boat had finally reached its destination. Docking in Imperial labeled ports, the steps were laid out for the party to descend. Father Tres and Father Hugue were the first to step down off the ship, Caterina with the Professor were next. Several different members of different branches of the Vatican stepped down before it was Abel s turn, though he was not paying very much attention. Father Leon gave Abel a slight push ahead of him, winking. Abel sighed, in his mind his torment would start the moment he stepped onto the docks.

The Vatican party assembled in the middle of the docks, surrounding anxiously two young Methuselah messangers. Two of which Abel was very happy to see were quite well and very much alive. Rumors over the last eight years had reached his ears that the Empire has suffered many attacks by the World's Enemy. A tall blonde haired woman with a red streak parting the middle stood proud and patient in the center of the circle. Her companion, almost as tall and considerably younger, stood next her with the same expression. He held up a pale hand to their audience signaling for quiet. Cardinal Caterina and members of the Vatican, welcome to the Empire. It is our honor to escort you to the Imperial Palace where you will await the meeting for the treaty to begin. Said Asthe as she walked forward and politely spoke to their guests. "I am Astharoshe Arsan, Duchess of Kiev. My companion and I will be your personal escorts during your stay in the Empire. Should you need anything, please ask one of us and we shall see what we can do."

Cardinal Caterina inclined her head in acknowledgement. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Duchess of Kiev. I look forward to working with you and your Empress in due time." Caterina smiled. Asthe returned the smile, if not a little reluctantly. She was still not wholly used to Cardinal Caterina s ways or the idea of a peace treaty with Terrans but like all her other people, she vowed she would give her honest best to try and co-exist with their guests. Asthe then spotted the silver haired priest standing off to the side and smiling kindly at her, her heart quickened. It had been years since she had seen the clumsy priest. "Excuse me." Asthe said quietly to Caterina before making her way over to her klutz of a partner.

Leon stood beside Abel, he and the silver haired priest stood watching the two Methuselah walk in their direction. Abel smiled, perhaps this visit to the Empire wouldn't be so bad. Asthe and Ion stopped short of Abel, one frowning the other smiling. Abel gave Asthe a questionable look as her mouth formed downwards. "Miss Asthe, what's-" Abel found a pair of strong, slim arms curl around his neck in a tight hug. He sighed, smiling, and hugged her back just as fiercely. "I'm alright Asthe."

"You stupid priest!" She whispered into his hair. "Stupid..."

* * *

"So all this time you've been around Europe trying to chase after the Order?" Asthe said quietly, walking beside Abel. "The two of you!?" She threw a look of disapproval in Ion Fortuna's direction. "Does her Majesty know of this suicidal adventure of yours? And what about you Earl, does the Duchess of Moldova know this?"

Abel chuckled. "I think the entire world knows. But yes, the Empress knows everything. Don't worry Asthe." It had taken twenty minutes before the Vatican party was ready to make their journey to the very heart of the Empire's capital of Byzantium. They walked in a long progression down the streets of the inner city, a party consisting of twenty or so operatives plus two Imperial escorts. They chattered loudly, observing some of the first time the beauty of this city. Often Ion would point out historical sites that they passed and briefly explaining its story. Asthe had not completely appreciated the Earl's efforts of entertainment as she constantly mumbled under her breathe something of the sorts that resembled to "Waste of bloody time" and "Ignorant terrans". Abel smiled at her and simply patted her shoulder. She was the same as always.

"How long do you plan to stay here, Father?" Ion asked, turning away from his conversation with one of the other priestss in their company.

"Oh, well you see I sort of stuck my foot in my mouth with my superior and now find myself in a bit of a situation." Abel chuckled. "You see I won't be leaving this humble Empire until Lady Caterina has ordered me to return to Rome again."

"You're kidding me?!" Asthe groaned. "You're staying at my place until further notice? How the hell am I supposed to put up with you for that long!"

"I wasn't aware we would be occupying your home Asthe."

"That is besides the point." Asthe waved a hsnd dismissively. "I opened my home to the Vatican as did several other Imperial nobles at the Empress' request. You on the other hand, are going to have to find some place else to live! There is no way I'm putting up with you for indefinite number of days!"

"Now Asthe, let's not get too worked up." Abel waved his hands frantically. "Perhaps if we walk a little further ahead, not to much so, I will inform you since I have no doubt that you will most likely be accompanning me." Asthe shot Abel a look, one he shrugged off and began to walk faster. Ion kept up easily, not bothering to wait for the young Duchess of Kiev to follow. Ion and Abel, she knew or had been told, had grown very close to each other in their absence together over the last eight years. As she hesitated to catch up with the two men, she watched as they talked animately together, laughing and enjoying their reunion. Asthe couldn't help but smile, she knew the last eight years had been needed for Ion to fully grow up. She had heard Mirka Fortuna talk nothing but his maturing since he had returned.

"Alright so what's this big secret Tovarish?" Asthe sighed, finally catching up. Abel smiled down at her expectantly.

"Perhaps I should ask you both this first, do either of you know a young girl named Aurora?"

Asthe nearly stumbled in her fast pace, tripping over the tips of the her shoes. She looked up at Abel who had balanced her by the elbow, her mouth slightly open and her amber eyes wide. "How do you know that name?" Ion looked just as baffled.

"I'll take it that you both know who I am talking about?" Abel sighed. "I was given a double assigment back in Rome. My first mission is to accompany the Vatican envoy and represent my case to the Empress and settle the arguments of a peace treaty. My second assignment was personally given to me by order of her Majesty, Empress Augusta Vradica. I am to discover and if possible question a child by the name of Aurora and learn more about her. Supposedly the Empress expects that someone created another Crusnik and has asked me personally to look into the matter. If she is young and one of us, then she will need to be instructed and looked after."

Ion was the first to recover from the explanation, though he looked at Asthe for some kind of help. "Father-" The Earl's deeper voice and somewhat passive features we interrupted with a hand and smiling lips from the Vatican priest.  
"Abel, Ion. I've only ever asked you to call me Abel."

"Abel, then. Your assignment... you will encounter a slight, um, problem. The child you seek is the daughter of a high ranking Methuselah noble. Her mother-"

"Happens to be a very close friend of mine, Priest." Asthe finished closely. "We did not think the Vatican would come to inspect this matter."

Abel raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that this child was without a home and family."

Asthe and Ion both smiled, confusing the priest standing in the middle of the them. "No, she has a family. An over-protective mother to say the least. If you wish, I will save you the option of having to hunt her and arrange a meeting with you and her mother, should Aurora be present that is up to her." Abel inclined his head in thanks. Yes, he thought, anything to make this mission shorter I will do it! "For the meantime though, I think you should prepare a declaration of sorts." She whispered to him suddenly.

"Eh? Declaration?" He laughed. "Asthe, whatever for?"

Asthe sighed and physically turned his head to look directly ahead of them. "I believe that the Albionian envoy has finally arrived and it looks like your old partner is heading this way."

"Esther!" Ion ran towards the party approaching them in the distance.

"Any last words Tovarish?" She grinned deviously at him, watching as he suddenly break out into a sweat.

"Yes, would you mind telling my sister ahead of time there won't be a need to decapitate me in any way." He gulped, mumbling nervously to Asthe. He thought briefly of running and catching up with his party later but at the last minute he felt Leon and the Professor standing behind him, William with his hands placed firmly on Abel's shoulders. His means of escape were rapidly closing.

"Don't worry Father," Came a voice that reminded Abel of summer bells. "I won't do too much damage to your person, however much you deserve it." Abel had only enough time to blink, slowly, before the Albionian party was before them. There were exchanges of greetings and bowing between both parties but Abel only stood in shock. In eight years Abel had only returned to Rome two months ago but within that alloted time frame he had demanded missions with out rest from Caterina. At first he was vaguely unaware that his missions were normally only located in Albion or the Empire, for that moment he only cared about not thinking of what he had been doing for eight years. It took four or five missions before the tall priest caught on to Sister Kate and Cardinal Caterina's doings and just as quick was Esther, who had learned of his several stays in her country. She had demanded he see her at once but everytime he had avoided her presence. Eight years... was all he could manage to think as he stared at the red haired beauty in front of him. She was nothing like the Esther he remembered or dreamed of. The short hair she wore during her previous employment was no longer, now it was nearly waiste length, darker, and wispy. Her face had matured proving she had reached the prime of her maturity. Her attire was probably what shocked him the most; the short habit he was so used to seeing was no where in sight only to be replaced with a long gown of white and blue with light material to match the cool fall weather. There was a small almost unnoticable headdress resting delicately on top of her head, the smallest bit of shining silver hidden in her mass of red hair. Abel drank her in and nearly gave into the urge to pull her into his longing arms but refrained from it. That could never be...

"Good afternoon, Queen Esther." He greeted with a knot in his throat.

"Queen Esther, should you not already be at the Palace?" Ion curiously asked. Esther smiled. Esther's party had molded with the Vatican envoy, adding another set of twenty people.

"I heard the Vatican party had arrived and thought I would come to greet you all myself as we too have just arrived. It s been so long, I've missed a lot of your faces." Esther stared at Ion, and though Abel stood beside him, Esther never once glanced in his direction. _She's upset and she has every right to be. She's the hardest part of this whole task..._ Abel growled to himself. Of course Esther wasn t going to talk him since he d ignored her presence for the last two months. He wasn't exactly expecting a warm welcome from her.

"My Lady Esther perhaps you should return with us then," Asthe suggested. "The meeting will start shortly. It wouldn't do for you to be late." Abel glared at Asthe, suddenly getting the idea of the plan running through his friend s head. Now was not the time for match making, he thought.

"Yes, alright. If it s not a problem, I suppose we will join you." Several members of the Vatican voiced their agreement. Esther laughed and fell into place between Asthe and Abel, all the while only speaking to Asthe.

"Are you going to ignore me all week then, Miss Esther?" Abel said quietly once Esther had finished her previous conversations with the party around her. "I've never taken you to be so cruel." Of course he had meant this as a joke, but Esther turned to him with a heated expression. If Abel had any sense left for the moment, he would have taken off.

"Is there a reason why I should be kinder, Father? I vaguely remember that you did not once contact me since you have been back from your mission. Yes, now I remember, it was Cardinal Caterina who contacted me out of relief to inform me that you were at least alive and resting within the Vatican. If resting is what you can call it," She threw him another dirty look. "Really Abel, drinking? I've never taken you to sink so low."

Abel grinned meekly. "I did have a reason for that you know."

"It must be a very long one," Esther glared. "I'm looking forward to hear your rant of excuses, Father. I've already heard Ion's, at least I can count on him to contact me without a moments hesitation."

"Well when you put it like that, I have done a rather poor job of keeping in contact." He heard a snort come from somwhere behind him. His money was on Leon or Caterina.

"Well then start talking Father. You ve got a lot of ground to cover." Esther folded her arms across her chest as she walked, noticing how the priest beside her slouched in defeat. "Are you alright, Father Nightroad? You look a little pale." Esther s voice returned to the soft, gentle tone that Abel had grown to love. He couldn t help but smile. It had been that voice, screaming for him, that had helped him in his latest battles.

"Yes, I'm alright." He smiled and Esther noticed that acursed heart of hers skipped a few beats. She turned her head so he wouldn't she her blush. _Eight years, I should be over this_, she thought.

It was then the four of them heard a scream, several screams of women all running to the center of the street they were about to travel through. It was these four, two Imperial nobles, a Vatican operative, and an Albionian Queen that had stopped the progression of the the combined parties. Several behind them protested to their halt in movement but then became just as curious to see what was ahead. "I smell smoke..." Asthe whispered to Abel.

"As do I." Abel nodded. "Perhaps an alternate road should be taken, Asthe. This envoy is much too important to risk unsafe travel."

"Yes, the local authority will take care of whatever is causing all those women to scream." Ion threw a cautious glance back to the audience in front of them. "Duchess of Kiev, I suggest we show them an alternate route. The turn off here will lead us around for a block and then bring us back to the main street." Asthe nodded once her argeement and quickly made her way back to find the Cardinal as she was to offer her plans of the change of direction and its cause. Within moments the entire party was unquestionably following Ion through an alleyway to another street. Asthe began to follow behind, making sure the entire party was in order before she noticed the tall priest looking around.

"Lose something, Priest?" She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow to him.

"Yes, where is the Queen of Albion?" Abel growled, his voice loosing that foolish tone. "Where is Esther?"

* * *

A/N: The following is a preview of the next chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to post again so I will give you a tiny taste of the next chapter. It's proving honestly very hard to write! Enjoy, I wil try very hard to update next! Read and review, I love to hear your comments.

**Chapter 5: Found But Unanswered**

"Help, someone help!" Abel felt his heart swell like a balloon in his chest, the air inside of it was filled with relief. The cry for help had come from the melodious voice he could sit and listen to for hours, that comforting ringing of bells that made him relax and bury his paranoia. "Help, please!" Asthe and Abel made their way over to the crowd they had purposely been avoiding in the middle of the street. Pushing their way through they found their missing queen kneeling over the body of little girl no older than five. If Asthe hadn't been born a strong, independent Methuselah woman accostumed to blood and pain on a regular basis she might've fainted from the scene before her. She thanked the priest who steadied her almost buckling knees. Abel knelt first beside Esther taking in her appearance. The beautifully designed white dress she was wearing had been stained in criminson blood, he looked her over and found her hands and arms were covered in the child's blood. Esther, he noticed, was near hysterics. Quickly becoming disdraught at the helplessness he knew she was beginning to feel.


	5. Found But Unanswered

**Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives**

**Chapter Five: Found But Unanswered**

"What do you mean?" Asthe hissed. "She's with the delegation!"

"I'm telling you I just watched the entire envoy pass by and she was not with them!" Abel argued. He didn't like this and was quickly becoming put out with the fact that Esther could have possibly gone missing. Not his Esther, not his beloved, not on his watch was she to go missing. Ever. "We heard screaming and then turned our attention away from Ion and herself for merely five minutes, anything could have happened in that time."

Asthe, instead of growling some other irrational comment at the Vatican priest, decided to take his word for it that he wasn't lying and there was indeed a situation. "Did you check the group over there?"

"I think I would notice a beautiful redheaded queen when I see one, Astharoshe." Asthe arched an eyebrow at him but said nothing. "Don't repeat that."

"Nice to know I have leverage." She smirked at him, crossing her arms.

"This is serious, she could be in danger!"

"Help, someone help!" Abel felt his heart swell like a balloon in his chest, the air inside of it was filled with relief. The cry for help had come from the melodious voice he could sit and listen to for hours, that comforting ringing of bells that made him relax and bury his paranoia. "Help, please!" Asthe and Abel made their way over to the crowd they had purposely been avoiding in the middle of the street. Pushing their way through they found their missing queen kneeling over the body of little girl no older than five. If Asthe hadn't been born a strong, independent Methuselah woman accostumed to blood and pain on a regular basis she might've fainted from the scene before her. She thanked the priest who steadied her almost buckling knees. Abel knelt first beside Esther taking in her appearance. The beautifully designed white dress she was wearing had been stained in criminson blood, he looked her over and found her hands and arms were covered in the child's blood. Esther, he noticed, was near hysterics. Quickly becoming disdraught at the helplessness he knew she was beginning to feel.

"Esther, please move." He said gently, taking her red soaked hands and pulling them away from the child.

"No, save her!"

"I will but I need you to move and stand next to Asthe, can you do that?" She nodded and slowly stood with the help of Asthe, who stood wordlessly behind him. Abel set to work quickly, replacing Esther's hands with his he began to assess the little girl lying on the ground. He moved her gently to his lap, letting her head roll to the side slightly. He doubted he could do much for her at this point, the blood loss was too much for a child her size. She was tiny, her Empire style clothes stained in blood. Her long blonde hair held evidence of soot, dirt, and blood. Suddenly the girl's head snapped straight and her eyes shot open, Abel nearly fell backwards. He found a pair of frightened sea green eyes staring up at him. A loud cry erupted from her lips as she began to struggle in his arms. "Asthe, help me." Asthe quickly knelt on the opposite side of Abel hungrily looking for a way to help. "Tear a piece of my robe off and tie it around her shoulder. She needs a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. I need you to make another one around her waist too." Asthe gave him a stiff nod before pulling out a dagger on her belt and carefully cutting pieces of the priet's clothes to create their medical supplies while he tried to subdue her. She heard him whisper words of comfort and calm as Asthe tightly tied the pieces of the cloth around her shoulder and waist.

"Done." She announced. "They aren't as deep as you thought, they should stop soon."

Esther watched as Abel settled the little girl in his arms, carefully turning her weakened form onto her stomach so that her head rested on his broad shoulder. She whimpered with the discomfort of her wounds and bandages. The little girl looked up from her resting place, lifting her tiny head to peer slightly over Abel's shoulder. She found the red headed queen smiling kindly at her. She sank back into Abel's shoulder quickly. "Asthe, let's move from here. We're drawing too much attention." Asthe grabbed Esther by the arm and began to pull her quickly away from the audience that had surrounded them. Abel followed at her heels with the child held securely in his strong arms. She led them to an abandoned street before letting Esther rest. She apologized, momentarily forgetting that the Albionian queen was mortal and did not have her natural endurance.

"No, no let me go!" A tiny voice had wailed from the little body Abel was carrying. He had come after Asthe and Esther had stopped running deep with the alley she had led them too. Abel walked slowly, carefully trying to subdue the struggling little girl in his arms. "Let me go!" Her little voice got louder.

"What did you do Priest? She was fine a moment ago!" Asthe cried, running over to Abel.

"Me? I didn't do a thing! She just started mumbling to herself and then broke into a fit!"

"Give her to me." Esther watched as Abel allowed Asthe to take the little girl from his arms. She watched as he stared at Asthe curiously settling the girl against her shoulder and talking to her in a kinder voice, one she had never heard her use. But despite the calm, the child never settled nor did she stop yelling. She had reached a full blown tantrum.

"This is why I will never have kids." Asthe grumbled, walking towards Esther. "Here, you take her!" Asthe suddenly dumped the screaming child in Esther's clumsy arms. Esther stumbled with the child, not used to the weight. She quickly righted herself and stared down at the angry five year old who was not happy at all to keep being passed around.

"It's alright, I've got you. Calm down, no one's going to hurt you." The Albion queen tried, taking her pale hand and smoothing down the little girl's mused hair. She had stopped her screaming much to Abel and Asthe's obvious relief. "That's better. We only want to help you. Now, how do your wounds feel? Do they hurt?" Esther got a tiny nod. She smiled at the toddler gently and held her just a little more tightly. "We'll get you-"

Esther dropped the child in her arms, stepping back just as suddenly. A black light, a crackling sound of energy had suddenly surrounded the little girl she had been holding only a moment ago. Esther continued to stumble backwards as the sounds of the crackling grew louder. Her sapphire eyes were clued to the scene before her. The child on the ground now stood, picking herself up with smoothest of movements. But instead of the adorable five year old that had fallen now stood a girl with long wisps of white hair and torn clothes. Her curious sea green eyes had been replaced with menacing black pitches and her height had changed, she had grown a half a foot in the span of seconds. Esther heard her named being called, it sounded like Abel's, but she could not make herself move. She could barely let her eyes wander anywhere else. It took only a moment more for Esther to understand what was happening, only a moment more when she saw black feathery wings slowly pull from from the girl's shoulders and back. There four of them, each with lips of silver that glistened in the red of the setting sun. Esther froze, she had seen a similar form of this creature. She had seen Abel's true form and had not been afraid so, why was it now that this child had transformed into a similar being and she was terrified? A gun shot rang out and the black form of feathers and frightening energy was suddenly taken to the ground with the Duchess of Kiev pinning her on top. Esther found her view of the child then blocked by a black cassock and a swaying rosary.

"Esther?!" Abel shook her lightly, looking her over for any signs of blood or injury. She looked in good enough condition. "Esther, are you alright?" A white hot pain suddenly seared across his left cheeking catching him off guard. He placed a gloved hand to his marked face and gapped at the beautiful red head who had caused it.

"You shot her!" Esther screamed. "She's a child, you shot a child!" She pushed him aside and ran to the little girl on the ground. Abel stared after her, watching the Albion queen sink to her knees and craddle to blonde haired child to her chest. She had reverted back to her human form and was unconscious.

"The palace is not far from here, I can get her to the infirmary without too much attention." Asthe offered. "The sun is setting, if you make an entrance through the eastern gates I can meet you there and let you in." Abel nodded silently as he walked up to Esther and the little girl. Esther was crying, bending over the little girl. "My lady, she will be fine." Asthe said quietly, kneeling beside the Queen. "Look, the wound has closed." Esther only allowed her eyes to wander to the place the whole had been for a moment. "Priest you take the Queen, I'll get the girl to the palace."

Asthe gently scooped up the little girl in her arms, only recieving a slight protest from Esther, before bounding to the top of the nearest building and running off to the palace in search of medical attention. Esther continued to sit on the ground, not moving or showing any signs of gettting nor ever wanting too. Abel stood in front of her, his own head bent in shame. She had been right to hit him, he had done something atrocious. "Esther, we need to be leaving..." She stood on her own, pushing him out of her way. She stumbled yet again, her heels slipping in the puddle of blood at her feet. Abel reached out and caught her, pulling her to his chest and moving her away from any further chances of hurting herself. Esther tried to push away from him again but Abel locked his arms and held her against him.

"Let me go Father." She demanded quietly.

"You can hate me Esther," He said quietly, looking up at the red sky. "It's alright if you do, I did something horrible. You have a right to hate me." Esther looked up at him slowly, noticing the hard set of his face and the distance his beautiful ice blue eyes suddenly held. "Forgive me, but my job is to protect those I love and care about from anything that threatens their life."

"I... don't hate you." She answered in a whisper. She lowered her head to stare at his chest, burrowing her face into his clothes and allowing the fear she had felt moments ago to finally consume her. Her body shook in sobs, her tiny hands gripped his cassock tightly as she cried. She hated it, she hated crying but she had no control of her emotions. The fright that had siezed her heart and mind was overwhelming. Abel held her tighter to him, gently comforting her with small caresses to her back and hair. "She was just a child..."

"And she will be fine," He soothed. "Asthe has taken her to the place to recieve treatment for her other wounds. The bullet did little to no damage to her interal organs. She's going to be okay, Esther." Her petite form continued to shake to the point she felt to weak to stand much more on her own. Abel carefully swept the felt of Esther into his arms walked the rest of the way down the alley. He was thankful it was so long, he didn't know how much longer this episode with Esther was going to last but he would cherish every moment of it. Abel brought a finger to her porcelain face, tenderly brushing away droplets of salty tears. "My dearest Esther..."

Esther looked up at Abel abruptly, confusingly studying his smiling face. "I don't get you." She stated promptly, swatting his hand away and wiping the rest of her tears away by herself. "You act like this yet you never once came to see him in your millions of trips to my kingdom." She crossed her arms across her chest and glared up at him. "What's worse, I had to have guards drag in Leon and the Professor before they guiltedly told me where you were and by that time you were already too far gone for me to legally get a hold of you! I just wanted to know you were alive! What's so wrong with that?!"

"Esther, we don't have the time for stories right now," Abel grumbled, the foolish mask was put away for the moment. "I need to get you back before a panic starts and you've made yourself too weak to get very far on your own."

"Don't give me excuses Abel." She snapped. "Don't change the subject either. I thought you were dead for eight years! Caterina told me to be prepared for the worst so I thought the worst! Do you have any idea how hard that was to accept? They couldn't pinpoint your location and you would go a year or so before even contacting Sister Kate again. The only thing I had of yours to remember you by was that stupid black ribbon you always wear! Excuse me for wanting some answers from you! Abel watched the tears come. Her sapphire eyes seemed to sparkle with them. The least you can give me in an explanation as to why the hell I never got any confirmation of what you and Ion were doing! Esther yelled. At least he had some kind of decency to come and visit me on his way home to the Empire! Unlike you who had Caterina-" Esther found a pair of smooth, sweet lips suddenly pressing hard on her own. Slowly they moved against hers, pushing her lips slightly apart, allowing a sugary taste to fill her mouth. Esther relaxed, knowing whose lips were suddenly kissing her.

"That's why I didn t tell you," Abel whispered. "That's why I never came to see you after all this time or even in between. I wasn t sure if it was safe enough yet." He pulled away from her, smiling, clearly not regretting his actions. Esther however, wasn t so happy about it even with the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach or the lightheaded feeling she had.

"You can't solve your problems just going around kissing people, Father!"Esther glared. "You re still in trouble." Abel continued to smile at her, having more pleasant thoughts run through his head. "Are you even listening to me?!"

"I'm always listening to you." He could see the annoyance in her eyes. Watching her be mad at him was amusing. She narrowed her eyes at him in a threatening manner but he knew she wasn t really mad, just confused. Though that had not been his intention but it was still a better reaction than being shot at. Anything was better than being shot at, and knowing Esther she wasn t weaponless.

"Let's just get back to the Palace, Seth probably has the entire Empire looking for us." Abel groaned and she knew exactly why. "Oh she's not the one that's mad Abel, but she's not happy with you either."Abel gave Esther a look of annoyance.

"Would it bother you if we travelled to the palace by faster means?" Abel looked from the red headed queen in his arms, uncertainty written all over his handsome features. Esther shook her head no, slowly catching on. "Are you sure, I don't have to... well, it's okay to say it's terri-"

"You're not a monster Abel," Esther said quickly and smiled. She brought a hand to his face. "Faster transportation would be lovely." Abel smiled and kissed her hand, moving it so that it returned to its resting place across her stomach.

"Very well." Before she could come to another thought, they were soaring up into the clouds and she was craddled safely in her Crusniks arms. _______________________________

"Thank Heavens you two are alright!" Seth came running through sheer curtains to the balcony outside of her personal rooms. Abel had guided Esther and himself safely though the skies to the palace as stealthily as he could possibly do in Methuselah territory. Esther had long fallen asleep in his arms, the cool breeze calming her to the point of sleep not to mention her own emotional fit had added to her exhaustion. He contently held her tightly in his arms as he brought them to the first open window he could find on the East end of the palace. Had he know it was Seth's or Empress Augusta Vradica's personal chambers he might've tried to find Caterina first. Abel landed softly on the tile flooring, standing straight and pulling in his black wings. He winced, even after nearly a millenia of practice it still hurt to pull his Crusnik bits back to his human form. He looked up at Seth, her eyes round and amused. 'I'm never going to hear the end of this' He thought at the coy look his little sister was giving him.

"We ran into some trouble in the streets." Abel said quietly, stepping away from the balcony and into the room. "I'm sure the Duchess of Kiev has found you."

"Yes she told me, she told me everything." Seth gave Abel a look before leading them into a comfortable sitting area where he could put Esther down, not that he really wanted to. Sighing, Abel brought Esther's sleeping form to a large couch and letting her down. Seth brought him a blanket that he gently threw over her tiny form.

"It's about time big brother," Seth giggled. "It took you long enough to finally admit it to yourself."

Abel blushed and readjusted his glasses. "So I've heard." He found himself being hugged suddenly around his middle. Smiling, Abel wrapped his long arms around Seth tightly, kneeling so she could stand taller than he for once. 'She hasn't changed, not even in nine hundred years.' You need to grow brat, I m getting too old for all this kneeling.

Seth untangled her arms just to fold them across her chest, "Old? I d love to hear one woman on this planet call you old." Abel felt blush deepen. It was an ongoing joke between the AX members. For as handsome as Abel was he was also perhaps the only one who didn t notice the large amount of female attention he received. His claim had been to Caterina years ago that he wasn t a complete idiot, he just liked to tune out the unimportant facts of life like the leering women wherever he went. Seth brought his attention away from his thoughts. And you shouldn t tease an Empress, She chided. Especially when she has the power to throw you in the dungeons and keep you there.

Abel smirked, tussling her short hair. "Well when I see one, I ll know not to annoy her."

"Hey!"

"I missed you too, Brat." Abel hugged her again. "I'm sorry for leaving without you, I know you wanted to come."

"You've been gone so long Abel, we thought something happened to you and Ion." Seth pulled away from him and smiled. "I'm glad you're here now, I have much to talk with you about."

He smiled at his youngest sibling, "Yes and I'll take a guess now and say that half of it must be a rather long lecture."

"No, I'll leave that for Esther." He winced. "I have other things to speak to you about. Asthe gave me her report of your newest encounter. It appears you have met Aurora."

Abel raised an eyebrow to his little sister. "So that was Aurora? I'll take it you've had similiar situations with her?" Seth nodded.

"You must admit, she has plenty of potential in her." Seth smiled. "She reminds me of you a lot too. I've known her since she was a baby and she does these silly things all the time and when she gets upset she goes off on her own. We take hours trying to find her."

"Potential and appearances aren't the problem here Seth, she's dangerous." Abel scowled. "Her body has not fully matured and the nano-machines seem to not recognize familiar life forms yet. She should've been able to sense me near her and continued to keep her guise a little longer. She is unstable and has no instruction Seth, further more she seems to change without even knowing she's doing it. It could be detrimental to her health if she doesn't keep a locked control on herself."

"Abel, she's only a child." Seth frowned. "Aerianna hardly knows how to control her as it is. This would have never happened to her if they had never taken her." Seth bowed her head in what looked like shame to Abel. He understood his sister's love her the Methuselah. She was their mother in a way, she was there leader. From the oldest of their kind to the smallest of children, Seth cared for everyone of them. He loved his sister's generous heart, it had always been so painstrickenly big. "Aerianna has been having an even more difficult time with Rory, she's always running around the Empire and getting in trouble."

The name Aerianna struck a cord with Abel, more memories rushing to his head. More guilt that uneedingly piled up in his heart. How was he supposed to tell Seth? He wasn't even sure himself. "What happened to Aurora?" He decided to skip the questions about Aerianna for now.

"It happened ten years ago, the Order led another attack on Byzantium and took several hostages. One of which was Aurora. They did horrible experiments to my children, only a handful survived and that was only two years ago when they managed to escape by overthrowing their guards and cutting all the gas lines in their facilities. The labs eventually exploded with the doctors inside of it. Aurora came back but found she had new abilities to already inhanced Methuselah ones. She had Crusnik abilities now. The others that escaped with her died nearly three weeks ago. She's the only one left and she refuses to talk about it. Abel, she's a child! How could they do this to a little girl!?" Seth was in a full blown sob, falling into a chair somewhere behind her. "She's no more than two hundred years old!"

"Two hundred..." Abel gapped. Even for Methuselah, two hundred years was not exactly a baby anymore and yet Aurora looked no older than five. "Seth, Ion is nearly fifty years of age. Aurora has to be younger." Seth shook her head no. Abel gulped, _how could Seth miss this then?_ he thought.

"Seth..." Abel walked across the room and knelt in front of his sobbing sister, making her look at him with red eyes. "Seth listen to me, this isn't exaclty easy for me to say and I'm not certain that I'm right in saying it but the evidence is overwhelming and I'm responsible for it."

Seth rubbed her eyes dry, confusing looking at him. "What are you saying Abel?"

He took in a shaky breath. _Ah, I didn't prepare myself for this!_ "Aurora... well, two hundred years is a long time to live Seth. We don't die and we never get sick. _Our_ bodies were created from experiments but I think it can be done _otherwise_..." Abel watched as Seth's eyes grew ground like plates. He had to chuckle as she was beginning to put two and two together. "Two hundred years ago there was the first time the Empire experienced any major attacks by Cain." He grinned impishly.

"But you were... in the catacombs with Lilith!"

"Ah you see, I had an epiphany that didn't last very long." Abel gave her his usually goofy smile as he scratched his head. "I thought I was ready to forgive myself but I wasn't strong enough to do what Lilith did. I almost joined Cain again that night. He found me in the Empire as he was burning it to the ground. Aerianna found me amongst the rumble along the shore and saved my life."

"You're saying you and Aerianna... The Duchess of Daeg?" She started grinning and jumped on Abel in a huge hug. "I'm an aunt!"

"I..." He whispered as he hugged Seth tightly. "I guess I'm a father."

* * *

A/N: Hehehe, how is Esther going to take that news? Uh ohhh spaghetti oh! Anyway, I got this chapter up a lot faster than I expected. So enjoy and R&R, I always appreciate the comments. If you have flames however, keep them to yourselves. I rather like my inspirational thinking and would not like to have it ripped in pieces. It's not very nice. Thank!

StarlightSkies


	6. Heart to Heart

Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives

Chapter Six: Heart to Heart

He couldn't remember a time, recently, where he was more amused than now. In fact, if there hadn't been a significantly beautiful redhead currently using his right thigh as a pillow, he was willing to bet the four measly dinours in his pocket that he would have been rolling on the floor by now. It had been nearly an hour since he announced to Seth that there was a very high potential of her being an Aunt to one of her Duchess' daughter. The thought even now made him want to second guess himself; he still hadn't quite come to turns with the possible fact yet. But had he known that his youngest sibling would go from such an extreme of happiness to the worst part of worrying, he might have told her sooner. He couldn't remember the last time he had had such a laugh at his sister's expense. "No, this cannot be leaked! It mustn't!" Was all Abel could hear Seth mumble under her breath, her neatly done finger nails were stuck in her mouth as the tips were being chewed down by the second. Though as much as he wanted to laugh, her mumblings made sense and her sudden need for alarm he fully agreed with. If in fact Aurora Sagarra, the only daughter to the Duchess of Daeg was his child and it was leaked information to any of Seth's secret council members, he was certain the results would be ugly. Not only that, the situation could possibly expose him and Seth for their true forms.

"Now you see why I don't like coming to the Empire," Abel smirked. "There's always some kind of situation going on."

Seth came to a sudden halt in her repetition of circles around the coffee table to glare at her favorite brother. "Excuse me for being responsible, Abel. Might I remind you, it is you who secretly decided to have some fun and then make a mess of it." She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

Abel blushed, "Yes well, let's not be so crass about that now shall we?"

"Glad to know you experienced some desert before the main course, brother." Abel's burning cheeks now matched the crackling fire on the opposite of the room to him where a small hearth was lit. "We still don't know if she's your daughter or not… but it would explain a lot if she was. There is no way to tell if Cain created another Crusnik in those labs or if Rory's powers have just simple awaken. The nano-machines are triggered by rage and fear, it could be that she felt threatened when she was kidnapped that they were suddenly activated." Seth continued to muse.

"Is that what he was using those labs for? To recreate us?" Abel asked quietly, his eyes strained to something passed Seth's small form. "Ion and I found him several times in abandoned areas where run down labs used to be, once or twice we found him at torn down hospitals, but we never discovered his reasons for being there."

"Yes," Seth frowned, her voice shrinking. "From what I could gather he was trying to build some kind of army, to recreate the Crusnik powers and use the replicas as the front line in his goal to overtake our world. His idea was relatively new and he was only using Methuselah for his projects. He had kidnapped at least three hundred of my children in the last seven years. Rory was taken when Aerianna's manor was ransacked by the Rosencruetz in a raid ten years ago. We have no way of knowing if Cain succeed or if Rory has just awoken on her own. Abel, if you are her father I would much rather like to believe that solution than Cain's. She's not a monster and I don't want her believing so. Aerianna doesn't know how to control her and lately Rory has become restless with the idea she is somehow invincible to all harm."

"You cannot simply put me as the solution for this problem, Seth. I would rather not be her father and then risk someone finding out her heritage and ruining more than just our identities." He argued back in a hushed whisper. Esther gave a quiet sigh from her resting place, cuddling herself further into him as she slept unawares. Seth raised an eyebrow to Abel, knowing a series of events was about to come full circle. "There is a reason why I work as a travelling priest and you rule the Methuselah, the differences between the two worlds are too great."

"Why can't you admit it!? Why can't you just say you messed up Abel!" Abel looked away from her, the black haired sister that was now standing in front on him with her snarling face at eyelevel with him. "Do you have any idea how confused this little girl is? She's two hundred years old yet she doesn't look more than five! Her mother is constantly depressed with the idea that her daughter isn't a Methuselah and not even human either! And here you sit telling me you can't accept her? I asked you to come here for Rory! If you are her father, you can help her more than I can. She's strong, she's intelligent, and she's _scared_ Abel. Even now she knows she isn't like the other Methuselah children and she cannot be accepted as one of them."

"Seth… I can't. It's too dangerous…"

"You can't or you won't, Abel?" Seth crossed her arms.

"I can't and I won't. If someone found out who she is,_ what_ she is, _what _we are… Seth, even your council and friends will turn against you. If I admit to being her father, then I take responsibility for her and I cannot do that right now. I have priorities to the Vatican that much come first, things that much be settled before I can think for myself. Besides, once she knows the truth about Aerianna and me she won't want me as her father. I don't know the stories the Duchess of Daeg have told Aurora but I don't doubt that I am the enemy in them."

"Hmph, you deserve to be the enemy right now. You're being impossible."

"I'm being impossible for the sake of our well being Seth and the Empire. We feed on Methuselah, remember? I don't think your precious children will appreciate it when they hear you like their blood over humans."

"I'll tell you what you apparently feed on Abel, misery. You inhale it like it was one of your meals." Seth huffed, throwing herself back onto the couch she had been sitting on. "When was the last time you ate anyway?"

"We ate before we left the ship."

"Abel."

"I'm not hungry Seth."

"Abel!"

"Two weeks!" Seth's eyes were identical to the decorative white saucers placed on the coffee table between her and her favorite brother. Her small lips shaped over his last two words but missed the volume needed to pronounce them. "I've been preoccupied and haven't had time to hunt." He explained meekly.

"I think you should take Asthe or Ion and hunt later…" He nodded to her slightly and the room fell silent. Abel decided not to watch his sister's expressions; he would just become depressed by her disappointment and her own inability to understand his decisions. He decided to watch the sleeping Albionian queen resting in his lap, listening to her quiet songlike breathing and the slight rise and fall of her shoulders as she slept on peacefully. It was a wonder she didn't wake up during their argument, but he was happy she didn't. He didn't know how to explain himself to her yet. It was safer to take on one woman at a time in his case. In his observation of the Albionian queen, he saw the small lock of red hair resting on her parted lips. Carefully he moved it away with the lightest of touches to her skin and tucked it neatly behind one ear. He smiled when she shifted again, digging further into him if possible.

"You love her…" Abel nearly jumped out of his seat at the sudden gentleness of Seth's words. He looked at her sharply and then looked to the door. In his position, such things could get him shot at and he promised Father Wordsworth he would stay out of the infirmary for at least another month.

"Must you say such things so loud?!"

"What's wrong with saying you love the Queen of Albion?" Seth gave him a coy smile. He sighed, knowing that she had the upper hand.

"It's politically incorrect, that's what's wrong." Abel glowered. "Quit while you're ahead Seth, I'm not arguing with you anymore tonight."

"I hope she wakes up and bites you." Seth stuck her tongue out at him. If he wasn't so tired, he might've laughed at the irony.

He gave her another sigh, finally giving up. "Does it matter if I do or not? What good will come from it?"

Seth shrugged. "One day it might."

Abel gave her a ghost of a smile. Seth could hardly find a reason him to be doing so at that moment. "One day I might be free of my chains and my own stupidity. There are too many differences between us and humans and _love_ is what gets us into messes like these. My whole point tonight Seth was that sometimes equality isn't achievable and no amount of love for one person or race can change much about it. Is that not why you have kept the Humans and Methuselah separated by relationship means? The only relationship here is servant and master." When he next looked at her, the gentle face was once again replaced by pursed lips and narrowed eyes.

"Will you say the same thing when it comes time for you to choose between the Vatican and Esther?"

"Seth that is unfair and unpredictable," Abel dejectedly throw his head back against the wooden paneling of the couch, letting his head fall backwards. He slipped his glasses off and began to rub his temple; the signs of a large headache were being to throb all around him. "Esther is another reason why I shouldn't associate with humans who affect my heart so much. Each time I come close to loving one of them, Noel, Lilith, …Aerianna, something always goes wrong. Lilith and Noel are dead but at least with Lilith I had some chance to announce my feelings to her. Noel was gone before I could understand where I was going, even if that understanding meant I could only love her as my dearest friend. Is it wrong of me to hold Esther at arm's length because I want to keep her alive or away from my misfortune?"

"It's wrong when you don't admit your mistakes and don't try to fix them Abel," Seth frowned, sinking into an armchair across from Abel and Esther. "Have you ever considered the fact that Esther _might_ love you too?"

Abel began to blush, his hand stroking the silky red hair beneath his fingers. "I had hoped but I don't want much more than that. Anything more could get her killed. She had to watch me die once, that's bad enough."

"I give up! You're being so stubborn tonight. I can't get anything through your thick skull!" Seth snapped, jumping up once again. She had noticed the slight movement coming from the bundle of blankets resting next to Abel. The movement had oddly reminded her of something like a wince. It was best to stop the conversation here. Confused, Abel watched his sister stomp over to the door and speak to the guard just outside it. It was a few minutes before she returned, suddenly fixing her dress. She turned to Abel, still mad. Her voice was stiff and raucous. "By the way, the beginning of the negotiations could not happen this evening due to unfortunate events. So I have asked the Cardinal, Esther, Asthe, Ion, and another to accompany us in here to speak of our own separate treaties since these do not need to be announced until after the formalities and main issues are discussed."

"Then you don't need me." Abel began to stand.

"Sit down Father Nightroad, I told you already you would have two sets of duties on this assignment." He could have fainted with relief when we saw Caterina and her red robes entered the room, followed by more familiar faces and two he did not know. For the moment he was saved from Seth wrath and questions. He nodded to Caterina, understanding that she had in fact given him double the duties on this assignment. Now he was to pay his respects to her, as her employee. "Empress, I am honored you have asked us to accompany you in silent negotiations with the Vatican and Albion tonight." Caterina offered, bowing slightly to Seth.

"I want peace between us as much as you do, Cardinal." Seth smiled, offering each of them a seat around the room. "I want to discuss the baseline of the treaties you each wanted to prepare, that way when we present ourselves to my children and your councils we can move through it fast. I understand the Vatican is very busy right now, as Father Nightroad tells me."

"It is difficult with fragments of the Order running about, but we will manage."

"Abel, can you please wake up Esther? We will be needing her now."

Abel stared at Seth momentarily, not really wanting to comply with his sister's order. But at the moment he was a priest, a travelling priest working for the Vatican and he had no position to deny an Empress' will. Sometimes he hated his job. Gently he pulled the warm blankets away from her shoulders and shook her carefully. He at first got no response and decided to shake her a little harder this time. He received a groan, then a shove, and then she was awake, lying on her back glaring up at him for waking her up.

"You had better have a damn good-" She stopped when she heard the cleared throat of a voice only she would know so well. She sprang up like a board, staring wide eyed at the room full of foreign delegates. She even began to blush when she saw Mary sitting beside Cardinal Sforza. Esther made a mental note to shout at Abel for not waking her up sooner.

"Evening My Lady," Mary said with an edge. "We were wondering where you had gone too."

"Yes, um, well I'm awake now. Let's get on with it." Abel decided not to throw himself into anymore boiling water that night and not laugh at Esther's apparent apprehension.

It happened as soon as Esther was comfortable and awake enough to begin the small conference taking place in Seth's private quarters. It began with the Caterina, the main representative of the Vatican, speaking directly with the Empress. She offered her guidelines first, guidelines constructed by the other Cardinals and edited by some of Caterina's special and trusted AX members. Since the Empire was a familiar territory to her agents, she felt it necessary that some of them advise her in her revisions of what the Vatican would offer and accept from the other countries. Abel watched intensely as Caterina handled the situation with his sister, the first thing she had attacked were the hostilities that had been brought against the Catholic Church during the previous war. Having worked as an AX member for over ten years, Abel understood this first topic to be sticky at best. The hostilities and attacks had been caused by the Rosencruetz Orden internationally, but to the Catholic Church the attacks had simply been a rebellious outcry made by the Methuselah. Even knowing this bit of information, the Cardinal still had to act as if it was the Empire's responsibility to correct these wrongs. Abel was surprised at how well Seth handled the situation. Being blamed for Cain's actions was very hard for her, he knew.

"It is on this last issue that I will then close my negotiations with you Empress," Seth nodded slightly to the Cardinal. "Under Cardinal di Medici, head of the Department of Inquisition, I am obliged to ask if the Vatican may be permitted to set up our own personal and militarily embassy within the Empire. The purpose would be to control trading routes, aid and advise human military and if need be, Methuselah. Also the His Holiness the Pope has asked if it is possible, that the Empire permit the humans to have at least one missionary within the Byzantium." Caterina came to her closing point with a stern face and alert eyes. It was evident that she did not want to ask this nor did she have choice. The rolled parchment in her hands was already inked in the very same questions.

"I will agree to everything else," Seth answered slowly with a small smile curling on her lips. "As for the embassy and the missionary, it must be approved by the secret council. I cannot simply allow humans to have so much authority in what the Church has considered enemy territory for centuries; it would be a disastrous outcome. The Missionary however, I may grant in hoping that it will bring us closer to these goals in the future."

"It is all we can ask. We wish for peace with the Empire and have each seen enough of war to last us the rest of our lifetimes." Abel noted the small smiles that hinted on everyone's tight lips. He was glad the hardest part of the negotiations between the Vatican and the Empire had finally ended. The atmosphere around them had drastically changed to being calm and comfortable once again. Technically, the negotiations had only been list of compromises the Church and the Empire could peacefully agree on but Cardinal di Medici had of course made tension worse by asking to position a small ray of the Vatican's vast power in the Empire. Even he felt uncomfortable with the idea of asking so boldly.

"It is settled then, we will set these agreements into motion once the conference has been ended." Seth sighed with relief. "As for you Esther," The redheaded Queen looked at Seth abruptly. Her sapphire eyes scanned the pale face of her friend, nearly begging her not to continue. Albion and the Empire had come to their agreements years ago. Esther had no more desire to fight with Seth and the Methuselah as Seth had no desire for her children to fight with their allies. As Abel had already been briefed on these small facts back in Rome that these negotiations had already taken place and their content; but now he sat beside the blushing queen wandering why Albion needed to be present for such a gathering like this one. "Eight years have passed since you have taken up the Albion throne and unfortunately, a single female heir is obliged to follow certain guidelines. It has been noted," Abel watched as Seth, who was trying to act as formal as possible, was having difficulties doing so as she spoke directly to Esther. She started again, "It has been noted by the Albionian council that you have refused all marriage proposals in the last five years and the case has been brought to my attention due to our own friendship, that I might persuade you to take up a husband from a selection of one of my own children."

Esther couldn't bring herself to glance at Abel sitting beside her, seeing the look on his face she knew would break her determination now. But Esther didn't miss the Cardinal's flinch when she looked at Abel from the corner of her eye. "I have no desire to marry right now and I have already announced this to my people."

"Lady Esther," Colonel Mary finally stepped in, standing from her seat beside Caterina. Her hands were immediately folded behind her back, reminding everyone of a proper militarily trained woman. "This is no longer a matter of choice. The council is being very forceful towards the marriage proposal. Albion has never had a single queen for such a long period of time."

"I am aware of that Mary, but we seem to be doing excellent in the absence of a king." Esther growled. She stood with Mary too, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently at the Colonel. "I am not going to use this valuable time we have in Empire to look for a suitable husband, case close."

"Esther this isn't up for discussion," Seth frowned though she wouldn't meet the young Queen's eyes. "The council has already made their decision."

"What are you talking about Seth?" It was the first time her true name had been pronounced in the open to others that didn't know her so well other than Abel and Mirka. It was strange hearing it in a different surrounding. Seth drew in a small breath, hoping it would get her through the next part.

"This was originally a meeting meant for only the Vatican operatives and myself, but Colonel Mary and few others approached me at the request that I might announce their decision to you instead, as your friend. Due to your unwillingness to marry Esther, the men of the council have taken it upon themselves to decide who you should wed by choosing amongst the men you are closest with… Ion Fortuna, Earl of Memphis, has fallen within that Category since Father Nightroad is ineligible to take a position of hierarchy due to common birth. Ion has chosen Lady Aerianna Sagarra, Duchess of Daeg, to represent him during the officially treaty negotiations tomorrow afternoon." The honey brown haired Methuselah seated beside Seth inclined her head slightly; her green eyes gave off a sense of warning.

Esther stared at Seth, it seemed like the only thing her brain could think of possibly doing right now. She stared, her breathing labored and her vision suddenly blurring with little black and blue spots everywhere. With her panting breaths came the bomb of marriage, the imagery of walking down a red carpeted isle, clothed in the most beautiful white fabric she had ever seen and then coming to an abrupt stop at a set of marbled stairs, looking up from the lace of her veil to see, not Abel Nightroad, but Ion Fortuna… hand stretched out to her and waiting in front of an alter. From where Esther stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by Vatican and Empire relations, she crumbled to the floor in a dead faint.

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A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to update and I apologize for this boring chapter, it needed to be done. Thank you for all the great support via comments, please keep reading as I try to update faster with my crazy schedule! Thanks everyone! Enjoy!


	7. I Told You So

Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives

Chapter Seven: I Told You So

WARNING: Slight ABEL/OC action here but its only momentarily. Read and Review!

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"Esther?!" Abel forced himself to the ground before Esther's unconscious body could hit the floor, hearing the impact of her fragile body made against him as he caught her with a firm grip. He was only satisfied to stand again once she was safely nestled in his arms and checked for no damage other than her fainting and overwhelming emotions. He then stood, glaring at Seth as he fixed Esther into a more comfortable position. Abel threw his sister, Caterina, even Mary one last look before he carried the Queen of Albion out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Mary made to run after them, thinking she could easily catch up with the Priest's large strides until a white gloved hand appeared in front of her, stopping the Colonel from advancing any further.

"Leave them, they need time to think." Caterina spoke quietly. "This should have been handled differently, without Father Nightroad here." Seth nodded her agreement.

"I fear Abel's own history with Esther is going to be a problem in the future."

"Problem or not," Mary growled. "Lady Esther will marry the Earl or the council will be in an uproar."

"Don't you think you should have talked with her about this!?" Ion jumped to his feet, snapping at the Albionian woman. "I have no problems with marrying Esther or doing what is asked of me by my Empress. But it's not right to force her to marry when she doesn't want too!"

"Ion…" Ion found pale hands clutching at his shoulders. He looked up to see Lady Aerianna standing above him, holding him away from the Colonel. "We will give her some time to think about it, in the meantime I will check on Father Nightroad and you can head home to your Grandmother and speak with her about tonight events, alright? I am sure Auntie would like to hear it from you first. It's not every day her only grandson gets engaged." Aerianna smiled down at him, patting his shoulder lightly. Ion shrugged her off, throwing Mary a dirty look as he too left the room. "Don't worry, Aunt Mirka will handle him."

"You're related?" Caterina asked.

"Yes, Mirka Fortuna was my father's youngest sister."

"Was?" Caterina raised an eyebrow.

"Most of our family was murdered centuries ago in raid by the Rosencruetz."

"The Order is not centuries old, perhaps only several decades now."

"Enough you two," Seth intervened tiredly. "We'll discuss the Order another time, right now someone needs to go check on Abel and Esther while the rest of us retire for the night."

"I will go," Aerianna said to Seth.

"Fine then, the rest of you can go." It was only a few minutes more before the room was nearly empty, leaving only to Methuselah women standing. Seth turned to Aerianna, eyes narrowed and lips clenched tightly. "If you're going to go find my brother do it without bloodshed."

Aerianna nodded to her Empress, though she looked amused. "I wouldn't dare harm Rory's father." Seth could almost hear the blades of her nails clink together.

"Do no harm to him or Esther," Seth ordered. "Talk if you must, but nothing more than that. We don't want to cause a scene."

"I won't yell too much then." Seth received no other reply as she watched the Duchess of Daeg also leave her private rooms, the door for the third time that night slammed shut.

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He could have brought her to the rooms assigned to the Albion operatives somewhere within the Seth's luxurious palace; he could have brought her to Asthe's home where the Vatican envoy was staying. He could have done a number of things if he was actually thinking straight but he wasn't and so he allowed his wandering feet to lead him to a candle lit hospital setting that he knew only to be the palace infirmary. Abel looked down at the quietly breathing bundle of elegant robes in his arms, the beautiful Albion queen whose fiery mane of hair cascaded over his arms nearly brushing the floor. Abel wanted nothing more than leave with Esther in his arms at the moment to someplace less stressful as this, someplace where they couldn't be traced. But realizing that he could be charged with kidnapping the Queen of Albion, he decided against it. Besides, what would Esther have to say when she woke up to him laying beside her in a grassy meadow somewhere in the Empire? He smiled at the thought. He'd like to find out… one day, maybe.

Only a hand full of candles were lit in the infirmary since it was well into the night. Most patients had already been put to bed or taken medications to send them off to sleep, Abel was thankful that he came across no nursemaids that could question him or inform any of Esther's loyal subjects, if loyal is what you could call some of her councilmen. He walked into the infirmary, trying as much as possibly to keep his uniform boots from clicking on the stone floor. He finally made it, nosy boots and all, to the back of the medical wing where there was at least one white sheeted cot still open. Gently he laid Esther down on the cot, resting her head on the pillow last and fixing the blanket over her. He pulled up the closest chair beside the bed and sank heavily into it, kneading his knuckles into the side of his head tiredly.

"Is this how you get all these women to fall in love with you, Abel?" Came voice from behind him, a familiar voice that had the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up. "Save them from tragedy, whisking them off to the nearest hospital you can find, and then sit beside them for all hours of the night wishing for their health?" The tapping of heels on the stone floor came closer and closer until he could feel the presence of the women talking standing beside him. "I've been ordered not to kill you, don't fret." He wasn't worried, was he? Silence filled the infirmary again once the heeled tapping came to a stop beside the cot next to Esther's and the creaking of the metal frame as she sat.

"I didn't recognize you tonight," Abel said carefully, not looking to his right. He wasn't in any mood to be the flawed Father Nightroad tonight. "I'm glad to see you so well, Aerianna."

"I'm overjoyed you remembered my name," Aerianna smirked. "It's only been two hundred years Abel Nightroad, where've you been hiding?"

"The Vatican," He tried to sound as casual as possible when really he just wanted to leave, leave the Empire entirely so that he might not be haunted by anymore memories of his past. As he sat beside Esther and listened to the Methuselah duchess sitting next to him speak a flood of memories flashed before him, memories from precisely two hundred years ago… sitting in the same exact spot he was now only he was sitting anxiously beside a brown haired woman covered in blood. He could see high flames consuming once majestic manors and whole human villages. He could remember embracing a specific Duchess in his arms amongst the ruins of her home alongside the shore. His memories made him shudder under a thin layer of beaded sweat.

"Seth asked me not to hurt you tonight, even though I've waited for centuries for you to return so I could kill you." Aerianna spoke with threatening manner. "But I don't think she'll object to me doing just a bit more than yelling."

"If you're going to yell, I must ask you wait until later. My head is killing me," He sighed. "And unless you want to wake Aurora up, I suggest you keep it down then." He didn't need to look at her face to know that she was seething with anger nor did he need to turn in the direction of the cot she sat on to recognize the tiny form under the sheets to know that it was his daughter resting there. He had held the seeming five year old girl in his arms once today and once was enough to remember her shape.

"How dare you!" she began to snarl. "You filthy, lying, Vatican dog! You monster! How dare you touch her or even me, knowing what you are?!" Aerianna was on her feet instantly and in a swift second she was looming over Abel, her strong fingers gripping around his bony neck. "Am I to forgive you? Am I to allow you back into my life, daughter in hand, and treat you like some kind of king?" Her gripped tightened another notch causing Abel to struggle for air. "Think again." She hissed and she threw Abel, letting go with the slightest but strongest of movements until he went sailing through the air and slamming into a stone column fifteen feet away from where they both once stood. It took him a couple of minutes more before he could focus his spinning vision or the sturdy columns that suddenly seemed to be shifting left and right. His neck and back were killing him and he had no doubt that he might have bruised a rib or two. Before he could even stand again, Aerianna, the brown haired memory of his past knelt in front of him and gripped his shoulders tightly. Abel could feel the nano-machines buzzing within him, they reacted to his emotions and surroundings of course, but he could not use them. He would not show Esther or Aerianna, even his daughter, what he really was or how right the Duchess of Daeg was.

"How…" Abel croaked out. "Are you certain she's my daughter?"

Her lethal fingernails dug into his shoulder blades causing Abel to hiss in pain. "Am I certain?" She nearly laughed. Aerianna leaned into him closely, her marble lips at his hear with her cool breath tickling him. "I have only been touched by one man Abel Nightroad," She whispered. "That man is you." Aerianna dug further into his flesh and torn clothing before finally releasing him from her grasp and walking away over to the bed with the child lying under the white covers. Abel was thankful for his fast healing abilities otherwise he doubted that he could stand as he did now and walked rather protectively over to where Esther now slept.

"What will you gain from hurting me Aerianna?" He said quietly, sitting down again. He would not hurt her. "God does not rejoice in his children killing-"

"Save your sermons for the humans, Priest!" Aerianna spat. "What I gain is my pride, for allowing myself to be impregnated with your child! For allowing myself to love you!"

She was at his throat again but Aerianna did not find him an easy target again; this time Abel stopped her striking hand before it reached him with reflexes matching her own if not faster. He gripped her wrist tightly as his piercing glacial eyes bore into her like fear does a dying man. Abel stood with her now, forcing her back against the stone wall between the two beds. He had promised himself to not get angry, rightfully he thought he deserved every bit of her hatred but the young Duchess had overstepped her boundaries. "I might have done something regretful to you, but I would not think you would hate your own child, despite what she might turn into one day." Abel growled, glaring down at her as he stood a whole head taller. "If I could apologize for everything I've done, make up for every one of my sins then I would but I wouldn't take back Aurora's existence."

Aerianna's breath caught, her chest rising and falling rapidly and her eyes searching his face from so kind of lie, some kind of detection he was only saying things he didn't believe. "You don't know her…" She breathed, suddenly being captivated by the handsome creature holding her in restraint. "You left me on a beach in the middle of the night. Coming from the man who ran away from a better life, don't you dare tell me I don't care for my own child!"

"Care? From what I'm gathering, you hold her at an arm's length because you fear her!" Abel hissed, pressing harder on her wrists and crushing her to the wall. The self-control idea was slowly slipping from his mind. "I've seen it, even now; you can't look her in the eye. You're terrified of her, of me. Can you admit to me right now that you truly love her? If you had known then what I am, the monster that consumes everything about me, would you have hated me even then?"

"Yes."

"Yes you love her or yes you hate me?"

"Yes… I hate and love the two of you." Aerianna breathed. "I can't hate my own daughter but I can fear her, fear for her life and her survival in this world. And I can hate you, for doing this to me and her but I can love you too for giving her to me."

Abel stepped back suddenly, his grip, his power, everything had returned to the dim normality he drew for himself as silly Father Nightroad. He withdrew to the seat beside Esther's bed again, slumping over in the chair, hands covering his face silently. Aerianna slid to the floor. Her Empire style clothing, jewels and whatnot that distinguished her as a powerful noblewoman in the Empress' service, clinked and jingled together. She had tears in her eyes, salty rivulets running down her cheeks. "I left the Empire that night because it had become dangerous for me to remain there. If I stayed, you would have been killed by the members of the Order and the refuge house I had taken you too had been turned into a battlefield. After the couple of nights we spent together on the beach I decided to return to the world I had known for seven hundred years and I wasn't ready to take anyone with me."

"It doesn't matter now because you're in love with that human girl over there." He could hear the pain in her voice. "And you have a daughter, how are you planning on telling her that before she marries the Earl?" Abel had no answer to her questions, he had no bandage big enough for the wounds the Duchess and he had tearing into their hearts. He had only guilt.

"Esther has seen enough of me to understand, if I should ever tell her. If she decides to marry the Earl, then that is her decision to make and I will not intervene."

"I fell in love with a naïve, illogical, dimwit, man. Figures." Aerianna sighed finally standing up. "I'm leaving, you can watch over these two. If I stay any longer I might really kill you this time."

"I wouldn't let you…" He whispered as she began to walk away, heels clicking against the stone.

"But you allowed me to bang you up, even when you could have stopped me at any moment. Is that how you repay for your sins, Father?" And she left, not waiting for his reply or allowing any more conversation to continue. Able knew she was truly gone when the heavy doors groaned and slammed open and shut. He couldn't slump over anymore in his chair than he was now and he couldn't possibly make his head hurt worse even if he tried. Between the identification of his daughter, Esther, Esther marrying Ion (he was going to have talk with Ion about that later), and Aerianna, he was sure he was going to lose his sanity by the end of tomorrow and negotiations hadn't even started yet!

Beside Esther he heard rustling and quickly looked up. He looked to Esther first only to find her even breathing and her beautifully pale skin reflecting in the moonlight. He heard rustling as again and the creaking of a bed, a knot caught in his throat and he turned slowly to stare at the bed to his right. Sitting up with the white sheet covered around her torso was a little girl with messy, silvery like hair, and startling sea green eyes like her mothers. Abel shook off the shock of looking at his fully awake daughter who looked as if she had been crying and smiled, he was officially the goofy Father persona.

"Good evening," He said gently. "How are you feeling?" It was after those words that she began to shake, at first it was just her head moving side to side and then he could begin to feel the electricity in the air; the static connection of ions all around them. Abel studied the little girl and saw her body begin to seize with rage and her face flood with tears. It took him next to no time to cross the distance between the two beds and scoop up the little girl in his arms and hold her tightly. He held her to his chest, cradling her head over his shoulder with one hand as a piercing scream burst through her lips. He was quite sure Esther was awake by now but couldn't turn around to check. He continued to hold his little girl in his arms until her hysterics stopped and the violently shaking had passed. The mild episode he had just witnessed as yet more proof on Seth's part that as young Crusnik, Aurora needed serious guiding. "It's alright, I've got you." He whispered into her hair and even as he whispered it he felt the smile creep onto his lips. He didn't realize how happy he could be by just holding and consoling his own child.

"I want my mommy." Aurora whimpered, pulling away from the warm of this neck. Abel smiled at her and sat down on her bed, positioning Aurora in his lap. "Why didn't she take me with her? I want to go home." She rubbed her eyes and smothered her own tears.

"You can't go home until you feel better," He tweaked her nose. "You should be resting."

"I don't want to," He watched her make a pout with her tiny lips and she scrambled out his lap and slid of the bed, running towards to doors of the infirmary. She made it about ten steps before Abel scooped her up in his arms again and carried her back to her bed.

"That wasn't nice, you can't be running around when you're so hurt, Aurora." Abel chuckled, tucking her under the white sheets.

"It's Rory and you're mean, mommy and Aunt Seth would have let me go home." She pouted.

"Well daddy's are-" Oh, he wasn't supposed to tell her about that. He cleared his throat and started again. "Well I'm not like your Aunt or mommy, I have to listen to your nurses and they say you need rest."

Aurora glared at him but yawned as she began to feel the day's events settle into her tired little body. She curled up on her side facing Esther's bed and watched the tall, silver haired man with the goofy glasses walk about to his seat in between her and the other bed. "You look like my daddy." Came the little voice in the midst of another big yawn. Abel's heart began to race but he smiled at her and tried to act… well, natural for him.

"Do I really? He must have been very good daddy."

"I never met him but Aunt Seth showed me pictures of him when he was little. He has silver hair like me too!" Aurora's eyes suddenly grew big and round as her tiny hands played with her own hair. "You have silver hair too… Are you my daddy?" But before Abel could even think up an excuse he looked over to Aurora being sound asleep, curled up in her blankets.

A tear slid down his face as he brushed the long, untidy, cascading silver hair away from his face. Abel looked up to the paneled windows and sighed. "I wish I could say yes, I wish with all my heart I could call you mine." He looked at Esther's bed and felt the sudden need to pick up an old habit.


	8. Rise of the Fallen

**Abel Nightroad: Forgotten Lives**

**Chapter Eight: Rise of the Fallen**

The echo of a slap stung the quiet atmosphere of the labs. The victim of such a powerful hit crashed to the ground, though expecting such force and retaliation to the news he had just delivered to his Lord, nothing could have prepared him better for a blow coming from a Crusnik. It took only a moment for the young man to gather himself elegantly from the heap that he was moments ago on the broken floor. Even as he stood again, he bowed his head to his Lord and knelt before the tall, beautiful construction of a man he would follow even into death. Or return from it, he should say. He watched the feet in front of him walk towards elaborate computers and medical instruments and a patient atop an operating table with several doctors clad in white robes surrounding it. They were terrified, as they should be he thought; frightened in silence by his Lord's newest ideas of experimentation and victims.

"I'm disappointed in you Dietrich. I thought you could handle something as simple as capturing a little girl." The beautifully smooth voice of his superior made him cringe with his calmness. "Yet she has escaped and now we have a little wounded mouse running around the Empire. Whose fault is that?"

"Mine, my lord."

"Yes, and what do you think we shall do with your mishap? Think quickly, we have a very unstable baby Crusnik running amuck my sister's prided Empire." The blonde haired man, with a malicious and sweet smile turned to his kneeling servant. He walked back towards the young Puppet Master, placing sharp finger tips under his chin and tilting Dietrich's heads up towards him. "The erection of my army begins here Dietrich, the very last nightmare that girl remembers is being a part of it. I want her horrors to remain here alone. Under my control, are we understood?"

Dietrich simply stared up into the intimidating blue depths of his master's eyes. The message was clear to him and to everyone else but the smirk that curved his pink marble lips always seemed to be sending a different message entirely, almost as if to challenge anyone to oppose his orders. "My Lord Cain, would you like for us to retrieve her?" Dietrich began cautiously. "I must admit to you, there would be unavoidable complications in returning to the Empire." He paused contemptuously. "The world is under the assumption you, that priest Nightroad, and myself are dead… along with a vast majority of the Order itself."

"Preciously. And that is why I will not send you Dietrich, the world will come to fear us once again, I assure you. You and I will make our appearance at the right time, but for now let us introduce the newest members of the order." A soft laugh escaped Cain's lips as he turned away from Dietrich, walking to the metal operating table. He paused in front of the table, raising his hand to the body that lay atop of it and running his slender fingers over it. Dietrich could hear the slamming of linked chains on the slab of their now conscious patient. A mangled scream escaped their young victim's clasped mouth as Cain gripped its throat tightly. "My sister has a weakness, and it's the fondness she holds for her precious Methuselah. What better advantage could I take from her by using her own children as my very weapons? Their own chemical makeup makes them the perfect weapon by just tampering with a few key genes." Cain stared down amusingly at a boy no older than ten, struggling in his iron grip. Dietrich couldn't help but feel just a little bit of sympathy for the boy and several others who were a part of their new experiments. "Dietrich."

"My Lord?" Dietrich stood, waiting patiently for his next command.

"Bring the girl to me. She is the only living success of the experiment and deserves further examination by our excellent doctors. Do not let anyone hinder your return here. On your life you are to return that girl to me." The calamity of Cain's voice broke, and the forgotten pressure upon the boy's throat increased as Cain's madness took hold once again. A quick cry broke free of the restraints holding the child in place. It was over in another second as cold amber eyes stared horrified up at Cain, forever frozen with time in the only thing they hoped was the worst nightmare of their childhood experience.

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A/N: Sorry everyone for such a long wait! I'm doing so many things at once that updating is taking me forever to do! Please be patient with me, I'm really sorry for the ridiculous waiting!


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